Anything for a Friend
by ABSilverstreak
Summary: Started out as a challenge from a friend. Sam and Bee get into a fight and Simmons has taken the wrong side. What I didn't see happening: Mikaela becomes painfully aware what it's like to love someone outside her world... Mikaela/Starscream, Movieverse.
1. Chapter 1

SLAM!

Sam Witwicky slammed the door to the school shut with such force that it rattled the windows in the door. He half hoped that they would break. But they didn't, and he found himself slightly relieved. He half ran, half jumped down the stairs to the sidewalk, determined to get away from this God-forsaken place. He had just come away from a fight with Mikaela, the woman of his dreams and the woman he loved. He had learned the ugly truth of what her friends had been saying to her; that he wanted her like a trophy, someone to make him popular. This fried him. He tried in every way to explain that he wanted her because he loved her, not because of some popularity contest. After all we have been through, and she STILL thinks I want her for popularity? He thought to himself. He was hurt and angry. She had basically broken up with him, and he still couldn't understand why the hell she would listen to her friends above him, when she should know that-

"Aww, look! Wicky is mad!!"

Sam turned and saw the guy he hated most right now. Trent. His gaze narrowed at Trent, and he stopped as Trent got in his way. Sam looked down, then back up at him.

"Get out of my way, Trent." His voice was darker than usual.

"Aww, why? Are you upset cause your TROPHY walked out on you? Hmm? Serves you right, for taking her from me. This is a good thing, though, Wicky. She was too much girl for you, anyways. Better leave her in the hands of someone who can handle a little girl like that!" He crossed his arms and laughed, looking back at his lackeys, watching them nod in snickers and approval. Sam looked Trent dead in the eyes, not flinching. This guy was saying all the wrong things right now, and he was resisting the urge to sock him one right in the nose.

"Woman." He stared at Trent, watching him raise an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Woman. Mikaela is a Woman, not a girl. And she deserves FAR better than you. Now get out of my way!" Sam pushed away from him and around him, making a beeline for the yellow camaro that sat in the parking lot. Trent stared after him, like Sam had said something completely stumping. It was times like that that made Sam wish he had really written that book that he spoke of a while back.

He got to the camaro and opened the driver's door, throwing his backpack in. He threw it harder than he had intended and he heard a slight mechanical whine as the backpack hit the inside of the passenger door and thud down onto the seat. He winced slightly.

"Sorry, Bee..." He climbed in and shut the door, the car starting up by itself. He placed his hands on the steering wheel...no sense in freaking people out by not having his hands on the wheel. He sighed heavily. His car obviously knew something was wrong, by the way the next song lyrics played on the radio.

"What is it really, that's goin' on here?-"

Sam had to grin just a bit at that. He always found it amusing how Bumblebee had to, for the most part, speak through the radio. He sighed again.

"It's Mikaela. She...she thinks I want to be with her to be popular. Her friends somehow managed to convince her that I want her as a damned trophy. It's not true..." He took his hands off the wheel as they turned onto a deserted back road headed out to his house. Bee always seemed to know when Sam didn't want to even look like driving. "I wish she wouldn't listen to them sometimes...they fill her head with this nonsense...I love her, Bee...I don't know what to do..."

Apparently, Bumblebee understood him.

"I wandered through fiction to look for the truth, Buried beneath all the lies..." Bee sang out, trying to tell him that he understood and that she needed to look harder at the situation. Sam sighed and leaned back, closing his eyes and resting his hands behind his head. Bee hated seeing him this way, and decided to try cheering him up.

"One way, or another, I'm gonna find ya, I'm gonna gitcha,gitcha,gitcha,gitcha,-"

Unfortunately it didn't cheer him up much. He lowered his hands to his lap, getting generally annoyed at the song.

"Bee..." He said in a warning tone. Bumblebee switched songs as they rounded the corner to the driveway, figuring that this would work better for Mikaela's friends.

"-I love to hate you! You're such a liar!-"

But Sam took it the wrong way and slammed his hand down on the seat.

"BEE! KNOCK IT OFF! I am REALLY not in the mood for those songs!" The car pulled into the drive way as Bee shut off the music and switched to his still-damaged vocal processors. His voice came out sounding pained and ragged, like small gears whining and grinding together, catching and shredding.

"I am sorry,Sam. I was merely trying to help you-"

Sam snapped.

"Help me?? I don't need your help! You were the one who got us together, and now look at us! SHE THINKS I WANT HER FOR A POPULARITY CONTEST!"

He got out and slammed the door, forgetting his backpack. He walked away, mumbling something under his breath.

Bumblebee, unfortunately, heard it.

"I wish I had never fought to get that damned A- for my car..."

Bumblebee awoke from his recharging state later on that night, about 2:30am. He had quietly parked himself neatly in the driveway before entering his recharging state, careful not to touch Sam's dad's precious grass.

Bee made a small hissing noise, somewhat akin to a mechanical sigh. He had been deeply hurt by what Sam had said, not realizing that he didn't honestly mean it. Why did Sam seem so upset with him? He had no idea...he had only been trying to help him. Maybe he pushed too far? But how far was too far? He mentally shook his head. Sam didn't even seem to want him around. He noticed that Sam had not even come back out of the house at all. That was not normal. Normally he would have come back out after an hour if he was upset over something, and he would usually sit inside Bee's car form and just talk with him. But this time...he didn't. Bee became increasingly depressed over this...he wanted Sam better. But if Sam didn't want him around...

He fired up his engine quietly, slowly rolling down the driveway and out onto the street. He went slowly down the street for a bit, and when he was satisfied that he could make noise and not wake Sam up, he fired up his secondaries and sped out of there. Bee was confused. He didn't know the human race's ability to handle emotions, but apparently it was way different than the way that his own race did. They managed to control their emotions with relative ease, even in battles. He didn't think they could say the same for the Decepticons. He felt they were rash and brazen. But Sam's race...they were literal rollercoasters. One minute happy, the next pissed off. He didn't understand it. He made another noise like a sigh and sped off onto a deserted highway, taking the long way around to get to the overlook. There he would contact Optimus. If anyone could figure this out, he would be able to. He sped up even more, letting the wind rush under and over his frame and through all the mechanical parts. It actually felt good. If he could have closed his eyes, had they been visible, he would have.

Bee drove for about 20 minutes before he realized he was being followed. But by then, it was too late. A loud bang resounded above him and almost instantly he was damn near ripped off of the street...if it weren't for the fact that there was now a heavy chain net around him. Several vehicles surrounded him momentarily. He struggled, trying to transform, but to no avail. The net around him, which was held down by three foot spikes that had been slammed into the ground by the force of the blast, was too strong. He fought against it again, still trying to transform. Plates of yellow metal moved and shifted, only to return to their original state. He stopped moving long enough to hear footsteps and a familiar voice.

"Well, well, well...what have we here? A runaway camaro!"

Bee recognized the human's voice. The very same human that he very satisfyingly lubricated on back before he got captured the first time. He growled, the sound very much like that of an old muscle car revving up, but it was lower and quieter than that. He didn't bother with music. He switched directly to his vocal processors, knowing that the more he did that, the worse the condition would get, until Ratchet could finally get it fixed. His voice still sounded harsh and jagged, tiny servos and electricity working hard to get his voice working properly.

"Wa-What do you want with me?" He managed to grind out. Simmons just laughed and crossed his arms, standing in front of Bee.

"Why, to finish what I started, my dear yellow bug." He reffered to him as a bug because of his name, Bumblebee. "I plan on continuing my research, and there is nothing ANYONE is going to do to stop me this time. Not you, not your little criminal friend the extortionist, not even Optimus. I have enough jamming frequencies on around here that no one will ever even know we were here to begin with."

Bee realized with a start that he was right. He extended his sensors, finding that there was nothing but fuzz. Great, he thought. I cannot even contact Optimus or anyone for that matter... Simmons waved his hand around, and several military personell surrounded Bee and began coating him in liquid nitrogen, literally freezing him just like last time. He felt his thoughts and processes becoming slower as his metal body responded to the freezing process. His spark actually dimmed a bit, but not life-threatening. His sensors were dimming, too. After 20 more minutes of the freezing, Simmons was satisfied and signaled the helicoptor that had originally fired the net to take him up. Men secured him within the net and the helicopter lifted slowly. Simmons looked up to the sky with great satisfaction. As he watched, an F-22 grazed across the deck(about 20 feet in the air from the ground) with afterburners blazing. Simmons didn't miss the screeching noise that came from it. He raised his walkie-talkie.

"He's secure. We are taking him to the base. Meet us there."

Immediately the F-22 veered off and shot off towards the east, faster than any F-22 would have actually been able to do...

End Chapter 1.


	2. Chapter 2

The morning sun splintered the darkness that covered Sam's room, slowly bringing unwanted daylight into his darkened world. He mumbled something about Mikaela and rolled over, pulling his pillow over his head to block out the sunlight. He didn't want to be woken up right now, not now or anytime in the future. The pain of their fight/breakup was just too much right now. He just started drifting off when his phone started ringing. He rolled over again and grabbed his phone, not bothering to look at it and hit the ignore button. He rolled back over, stuffing his phone under one of his other pillows. But his phone apparently didn't care what he wanted to do. It started ringing again.

"Dammit, someone is trying to sleep here!" He grumbled as he grabbed his phone again, noting the fact that the display said UNKNOWN CALLER. He sighed, wondering if he should answer it, and finally decided to, considering that if this person didn't REALLY need to talk to him, they would not have called a second time. He flipped the phone open.

"Yes? People are trying to sleep at this time of day, you know..."

A deep voice came back over the phone.

"I'm sorry, Sam. But we have something important to speak about. We are meeting at your overlook. Can you join us?"

Sam pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it. Optimus? What the hell...? Oh, duh...I forgot they can hack the networks... He sighed, hearing Optimus's voice again.

"Sam? Sam! Are you alright?" Optimus was worried that Sam had not responded right away. Sam placed the phone back to his ear.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got it...Five minutes..." He clicked the phone shut. What the hell could be so important that they had to wake him up at...he looked at his clock. 7:12am. He groaned.

"Come on, you guys...why couldn't this wait? This had better be important, like a Decepticon or something..." His comment reminded him of a really messed up dream he had...

--Flash to dream-- 

He had been sitting on a rock at the overlook, staring out at the sunset. He had been thinking about Mikaela, and the fight they had. He still didn't understand why she kept listening to her friends. It made no sense. He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice the roar of a jet engine until it was damn near right over him. Recogizing the sound, he jumped up and looked around. But nothing-or no one- was around. Suddenly he heard the world's most hilarious tiny laughter, and he looked down. There was Starscream, about 5 inches tall, dancing around and laughing at him. Sam stared in disbelief at the tiny Starscream, and reached down and grabbed him by one of his wings. He held him up in front of his face. Starscream was yelling now in the funniest squeaky voice he had ever heard.

"Put me down, you filthy fleshbag! I, Starscream, demand it! I never gave you permission to pick me up! Let go!"

Sam couldn't help it. He started laughing. He thought this was the funniest thing in the world. Starscream stopped yelling for a moment, giving Sam a confused look.

"What? What is so funny? PUT ME DOWN! NOW!" He wiggled and squirmed, unable to transform because Sam held fast to his wing. Sam started walking off with him and, because it was a dreamworld, he instantly found himself in front of Optimus Prime, holding up the tiny, wiggling, yelling Starscream asking, "Hey, Optimus? Can I keep it? He's just so cute! I promise to take good care of him!" Optimus burst into laughter at the enraged tiny Starscream and told Sam sure, but he had to take away his weapons first, Starscream yelling, "NO! GET ME AWAY FROM HIM! HEY! YOU CAN'T HAVE MY WEAPONS! PUT ME DOWN! HEY! STOP THAT! THOSE ARE MINE!..." . At that point Sam was woken up by the light intruding in his room...

--Back to life-- 

Sam shook his head at the memory of that dream, able to smile a bit for the first time. He would have loved to do that to Starscream. But no chance in hell, unless someone invented a shrinking ray. Yeah, right. He grabbed some clothes and headed to the bathroom to change.

"Is he coming?" A large black Autobot asked, walking towards Optimus. He was messing with his cannons, retracting and extending them, practicing with pulling them out faster. It was sort of a nervous thing, but it kept him busy and kept him from blowing things up. Optimus nodded at him.

"Yes, Ironhide, he is comming. He said five minutes, but I think that means he will be here soon." He stared out at the wide expanse beyond the overlook, watching the sun climb higher into the sky, coating the earth with its whitish-yellow glow. The air around them seemed to glow a bit from the same light as the tiny dust particles caught the light. He looked back at Ironhide, who was walking around slowly, taking a few steps here, messing with his cannons some more, stepping around again, cannons...He sighed, the sound of that of air escaping from a pressurized tank of some sort mixed with a low rumble. He hated not knowing exactly what was going on. He turned around, hearing a vehicle driving up, but it wasn't Sam. Ratchet appeared on the scene in his vehicle mode, and when he got close enough, panels started shifting and gears started whirring as he began to transform back into his normal state, metal parts clanking into place as the painted lime-green and red metal plates shifted into place over his body. He stepped forward when as the transformation completed.

"I apologize for being late, Optimus. Traffic, you know how it goes on this planet." He gave a metallic exasperated sigh, and sat down next to Optimus, watching Ironhide. "What's got him so worked up?" He looked back at Optimus. Optimus just stared straight ahead.

"Ironhide swears up and down that he picked up on a Decepticon's energy signature. Unfortunately, he could not identify it. He says that there was too much interference to identify it. But that isn't what is troubleing him so much. The interference...he says it was caused by human-based technology."

Ratchet stared point-blank at Optimus, stunned.

"You are kidding me, right? Humans with the Decepticons? After we just saved their world from them?" He was completely appalled at this. He stared at Optimus for a few more seconds, then stared out at the world where Optimus was staring at. He couldn't believe it. What was wrong with this world? He shook his head and lowered it, placing a large metallic hand over his face.

"You aren't the only one stunned, Ratchet. We are all in shock over this turn of events. We could not have known that the remaining Decepticons would have teamed up with some of Earth's humans." Optimus's voice was grave, underlying hints of anger at the human race. Granted, he knew that a lot of this race was generally kind, but he found that there were some that would make great Decepticons had they been of the Cybertronian race. His spark weighed heavy at that.

"So where did he pick up the signal at?" Ratchet asked, breaking into Prime's thoughts.

"About 30 miles out from here. He picked up the interference first, then noticed it moving towards the east. It was then that he noticed the Decepticon signature."

Ratchet glanced at Optimus.

"Do you think it could be Starscream? After all, he was the only one we hadn't destroyed that day..." A hint of worry clouded Ratchet's voice.

Optimus sighed heavily. "I don't know. I hope not. That Decepticon is worse than Megatron when it comes to attitude sometimes. He is very rash and doesn't seem to think straight. Because of that, he is far more dangerous that Megatron. We, we were able to understand what was going in Megatron's processors...with Starscream...all we know is he wants control."

Ratchet nodded in agreement.

"Agreed...I know he used to try to take over Megatron's-"

Optimus sat up, hearing a voice in his communications systems.

"Sam, what is it?"

"MY CAR! BEE'S NOT HERE! HE'S GONE!! I CAN'T FIND HIM ANYWHERE!!" Sam was freaking out, hiding in the garage so no one could hear him. He was definately wide awake now, and slowly coming to the realization that what he had said yesterday, Bee may well have heard. He was feeling absolutely horrible. He hadn't meant it at all. He was just upset...and now. He ran out of the garage and to the back yard, which had since been repaired. He ignored the blasted path and ran across the yard, going to the alleyway, searching in vain. "Optimus, he's gone! I am such an idiot!" He was seriously freaking out, almost like the day when he first met Bee, when he called his friend Miles to tell him about 'Satan's Camaro'. But this time it was worse.

Optimus's voice came over the phone.

"Sam, calm down. I am sure he is around somewhere. I am sending Ironhide to come get you. Calm down, and meet him in front of your residence." Prime's voice sounded calm and collected, thus calming down Sam...but not by much. Sam nodded, knowing full well he couldn't see him doing it.

"Okay...okay...I'll be here..." He snapped the phone shut and walked around to the front of the house, sinking down to the ground in front of the garage door. He placed his head in his hands, feeling absolutely horrible.

"What have I done..? Oh, Bee...I didn't mean it..."

Ironhide whirled around when Prime said something about him picking up someone. He gave Optimus an alarmed look. Optimus turned at the same time, noting the look on his face.

"Ironhide. Please go get Sam. I think we just found out why you picked up on that interference. Bumblebee is missing." Optimus stood up as he spoke, his height surpassing both that of Ironhide and Ratchet by a couple feet. Ratchet stood up, also alarmed.

"WHAT?" Ironhide was infuriated. "Lowdown, dirty..." He didn't finish that, because he wasn't sure to say Decepticons or humans. Or both. He was angry. This was the second time his friend had been taken away by the humans, and it was starting to get under his wires. He flexed out his cannons again, and then withdrew them as he started to transform into his vehicle mode.

"Ironhide...we had this discussion the last time. Remember, not all of the humans are bad. Remember what Sam and the military men of this earth did for us. There is still a goodness to them...just some of them have chosen the path that the Decepticons have. Don't take it out on Sam, okay?" Optimus said, worried slightly that Ironhide might do something rash. The sound of metal scraping and sliding into place ceased as Ironhide finished his transformation. He made a rumbling noise, most likely a grumble.

"I understand, Optimus. I just don't like it. I won't take it out on the boy, don't worry. I will save that for when I find out who did this." With that, he drove off, dust kicking up behind him as he spun his tires out. Optimus watched, knowing Ironhide was pissed. He heard a loud clank behind him and he turned, watching Ratchet get up and standing off to the side. Optimus watched him for a moment, picking up on Ratchet's energy signature, detecting minute changes in the energy field that indicated that Ratchet himself was upset, too. He walked over to Ratchet and placed a hand on his shoulderplate.

"We will get him back, don't worry."

"Prime...We have lost so much already...Jazz...I still don't know if I can save him. He has lost nearly all of his Spark...it is amazing that we were able to save any of it. Granted, it is stablized while I work on his body, but...I don't know for how long. How much is going to be too much?" He turned and looked at Prime, whose face seemed to display a sort of sadness.

"Ratchet...remember what we fight for. The freedom of all the Autobots. I understand that this war is not over. No matter what, the Decepticons will continue to fight for what they believe in just as much as we fight for what we believe in. I think sometimes we forget that both sides have something to fight for, and one side believes that the other is wrong and vice versa. There are always going to be losses, sacrifices...on both sides. Remember that."

Ratchet nodded, calmed by the strong and wise words of Optimus Prime. He looked back out to the hills beyond the overlook, wondering what was to come...

Deep in a deserted mountain base, mechanical cries reverberated back and forth across the halls, dying out as they got further away from the source. Further in, more and more military personell could be seen, but it was behind closed 2 foot steel doors that the action was taking place. Simmons stood in an elevated office above the huge room, looking out the windows down at the large yellow transforming alien, watching it squirm slightly as bolts of electricity were shot through it. Several stations of monitors and computers surrounded the area, taking readouts of the energy signature, the path that the electricity took and so on.

Bee could hardly move. He was being shocked and tortured, just like last time. He was still frozen, but the electricity that kept surging through him caused him to move anyway. He was in pain, and if he could cry, he would have been. His cries and pleas for help were enough to jerk anyone's emotions...except Simmons. He took a sip from his coffee cup, and picked up a piece of paper, looking at it. It was the schedual for the next examination of this creature.

"Sequence 8: Electromagnetic readout. Timeframe: 10 hours."

"Sequence 9: Disassembly. Timeframe: 38 hours approximately."

Simmons grinned at this. They were already 2 hours into the Electromagnetic readout. He couldn't wait to see what made this creature tick.

He watched as another creature walked around the room, obviously satisfied. It called itself Starscream, and it was allied with the Decepticons. Which made them a perfect pair. He grinned at Starscream as the large transformed jet turned and looked at him. Starscream had the most dark grin anyone had ever seen on a Decepticon. Simmons matched it with his own...

End Chapter 2.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam sat by the garage waiting for Ironhide, feeling completely guilty for what happened. If anything happened to Bee, he would never forgive himself. He still had his head in his hands, elbows propped up by his knees. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice someone walking up.

"Sam?" A female voice broke through his thoughts. Sam looked up in shock, not expecting it to be who it turned out to be. He stood up slowly.

"Mikaela...what are you doing here?" He was rather surprised, and his heart kinda skipped a beat, wondering if she was there to see if they could work something out. Mikaela gave a sheepish look and stopped a few feet from him.

"I...I wanted to...apologize...for being a complete bitch to you. I had some time to think about it...my friends were wrong, and I knew it...I just didn't listen to myself. I was just scared...that...you would do the same everyone else did...want me for a trophy. I wanted to run before that happened..." She looked back up at Sam, hoping that he would understand. She shifted a bit, doing a slight headtilt. Sam stared at her, still slightly confused.

"Mikaela...why did you listen to them in the first place? I don't want you for a trophy or for popularity. I am in love with you, for God's sake!" His voice rose a bit, even though he didn't mean to. Mikaela cringed away slightly.

"I know... I am sorry...I was an idiot." She looked down, feeling like an ass. Sam gave up and walked up to her, wrapping his arms around her. This surprised her, but she hugged him back.

"Mikaela...Bee's gone...I said something...I was so angry yesterday, I-" He didn't get to finish what he was trying to say as he was interrupted by a loud blaring horn. He looked up to see Ironhide turning up into the driveway. He let go of Mikaela and backed up. Ironhide skidded to a stop in front of them and flung a door open.

"Sam, get in. We think we know what happened to Bumblebee," the big black Topkick said, his engine roaring impatiently. Without another word he jumped in, pulling Mikaela with him. She obliged and jumped in with, Sam sliding over to the driver's seat to make room. He placed his hands on the steering wheel after buckleing his seatbelt, and Ironhide backed out of the driveway and sped down the road, Mikaela still struggleing with her own seatbelt. Sam felt odd being in the driver's seat when he wasn't even driving. He kept his mouth shut about what he had said the day before, and instead asked Ironhide a question.

"So what happened, Ironhide?"

Ironhide's voice came over the radio.

"I picked up a massive interference signal about 3am. Not too much to worry about, until it started moving. Then I noticed a very clouded Decepticon signal. Unfortunately, I was unable to identify who it was."

Sam felt his body go ice cold. He looked at the radio, as did Mikaela.

"Okay, you said it moved...could you tell were to?" She asked.

"To the east of here, that was all I was able to gather. I lost the signal shortly after it started moving." Ironhide stated, speeding up once they got to the road towards the overlook. "I don't think there is much time. Your race has a tendancy of destroying things and killing innocent creatures to learn about them," he continued, forgetting to mention one crucial detail. Sam raised a confused eyebrow.

"Wait...my race? What do humans have to do with this?"

Ironhide chided himself for forgetting that fact.

"Sorry. The interference? It was caused by your race's technology."

Sam and Mikaela both stared at the radio in stunned silence, until Ironhide broke it again.

"The problem is, we don't know who on your planet would do such a thing."

Mikaela and Sam both looked at each other, thinking the same thing.

"SIMMONS!"

Simmons turned at the sound of Starscream screeching at him, coming face to face with the large Decepticon. He stepped back in response, still not used to how big he really was. Hell, his head was bigger than him. He gathered himself and stepped forward, thankful that the glass was between them. The thought was shattered instantly by the reminder that Starscream could just tap on the window and it would shatter. He pressed a button on the wallcom.

"What is it, Starscream?" His voice held an annoyance to it. Sometimes allying with a Decepticon proved more troublesome than he wanted, but it was worth it. Starscream was the only reason he was able to find Bumblebee after he left Sam's home. Starscream agreed to track him for the humans in the condition he would be allowed to leave with the Autobot's Spark. He planned to use it to increase his own power, considering he tried leaving the solar system and found out that his own power was diminishing for some reason. A self diagonstic revealed that he actually needed major repairs. Extra energy would accomplish this. And what better way than to take the most powerful source of energy on the earth? Another's Spark would do nicely. He figured, since landing on the planet, where he could conserve energy, he would have about a week and a half before he went into stasis while his body attempted to recover. But that was a long process, equal to about 50 years in human's time, that he wanted to avoid. And apparently the humans didn't seem to really understand that. Time was of the essance. The humans had taken a break to help prevent damage to Bee. The more they used the electricity, the more his body heated up, and the more it would damage him.

"This is taking too long, human!" Starscream hissed. "I could sooner rip him apart with my bare hands and take what I need! WHYY should I wait for you?!?" An annoyed and pissed off look crossed his mechanical face, waiting for the fleshling to respond. Simmons thought for a second, knowing that Starscream could very well rip apart Bumblebee right now. But he needed him for study.

"My DEAR Starscream, please remember that we NEED Bumblebee INTACT," he said, crossing his arms. "If you rip him apart, there is no guarantee that you can keep the Spark intact. If you let us take care of it, we can place it in containment and thus keep it safe. Wouldn't you rather have that? A nice, whole, juicy Spark ready for the taking? Or a ripped apart one that is disenegrating in your bare hands?" Simmons asked, staring Starscream in...well, one of his optics. Starscream seemed to think for a second.

"Fine. Just HURRY UP! My PATIENCE is wearing thin!" Starscream huffed, and turned around and thudded off, walking around the bay that Bumblebee was in. Bee was unconcious at the the moment, unawares of Starscream pacing around him. Starscream reminded Simmons of a predator pacing around his prey. Well, that is pretty much what the case was, he reminded himself. He backed away from the windows and sat down at his desk, reading more readouts of the data from Bee so far.

"You said WHAT?!?"

Sam cringed a bit, glad that they were away from the other Autobots. He looked up at the large blue and red Autobot leader, knowing he was in trouble.

"Optimus...I'm sorry...I was hurt and angry, and I know, I didn't have any right to take it out on Bumblebee...I didn't even realize he heard me..."

Optimus let out a low grinding hiss of air. He had never expected Sam to act this way. But it had happened, and Sam had realized his mistake. At least he had enough good mental processors to tell me, Optimus thought. He stared down at his tiny friend and thought for a second.

"Sam, I understand how you were angry, and I am glad that you understand that you had made a mistake. That is what separates you from a lot of others from your race. That is why I like you, Sam Witwicky. You have proven yourself above many others, even when mistakes are made." He turned back towards the other Autobots, which were off in the distance at the overlook. He was getting ready to head back. He lowered a hand to Sam. "Get on. Let's head back. I agree with Ironhide. If you two are right about this Simmons, then Bumblebee may not have much time indeed."

Sam looked up at Optimus.

"So you forgive me?"

"Yes. You are forgiven. Now let's go." Optimus said, his voice lighter and calmer than it was 5 minutes ago. Sam nodded and climbed onto his hand. Optimus rose up and began walking back over to the group. There were there in a minute or two and when they arrived, Optimus lowered his hand and Sam jumped off. He walked over towards Mikaela, who was standing next to Ratchet discussing Bumblebee's vocal processors and Jazz. When Sam approched, any talk of Bumblebee was quieted. He noticed.

"Oh, come on! It's not like he's dead!" He shot at them. He more hoped that mentally, that Bee wasn't dead. He was honestly worried about him. He looked up at Ironhide, but Optimus asked the question first.

"Ironhide, can you plot a possible course to where they may have gone?" Optimus asked, his voice grave, with a hint of worry. But everyone could hear it. Ironhide nodded and his optics dimmed a bit as processes began running elsewhere. After a few moments of agonizing silece, he seemed to come out of his concentration. He reached up and touched a panel on his temple much the way Optimus did, his optics displaying a map in the air of the surrounding areas up to 500 miles out. On the map were three red dots.

"These dots indicate possible directions they would have gone. One appears to be an old city that no one occupies now, another is a cave network right under this planet's surface. The last place, the farthest out, is an old abandoned airfield. Military, by the looks of it. This is the closest to the final heading I obtained," Ironhide explained, letting the map glow for a moment more, then shutting it off. Sam stepped up.

"Knowing that jerkoff, he would have headed to a place that felt like home...I say let's try the airbase. That has GOT to be it." He looked up at Optimus. "What do you think? Road Trip?"

Optimus blinked and stared at Sam for a moment, processing what he meant. He hadn't heard that phrase before.

"Road trip? Sam, we are not tripping roads..."

Mikaela started laughing and Sam snickered, finding this funny. Ironhide knew exactly what they meant, and Ratchet made an odd noise that was not easily identifiable. Optimus looked around.

"What?"

Sam stepped up to Optimus.

"Optimus...Road Trip means that we are going from one place to another by our roads...a trip means going a long distance. So, Road Trip means going a long distance by road." Sam couldn't help but grin at this. Even the mighty leader had some things to learn still. It proved that not everyone was perfect. Optimus stood there for a second, processing this new information.

"Oh...sorry..." If the big Autobot could have blushed, he would have. His voice did it enough for him as it was, anyway. Mikaela was leaning against Ratchet's leg, still snickering but trying to stop.

"Alright. Road Trip it is, then."

End Chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4

The road out the base was going to take at least three hours. Time was cutting close, though they didn't know it. They were already an 2 hours into the drive, an odd convoy of a semi truck, a black GMC truck and a rescue vehicle. Sam and Mikaela were sitting in Optimus, whereas Ironhide and Ratchet produced holodrivers. Most of the way so far had been in silence, everyone was thinking about the imminent future or mentally preparing for the battle that they all knew was going to come. Sam wondered what Decepticon would have come back. He thought back to his silly dream, and he laughed out loud. Mikaela looked over at him confusedly, raising an eyebrow. Sam looked at her, a grin on his face.

"Sorry...I had a messed up dream about Starscream."

Mikaela looked harder at Sam, wondering what kind of dream. Sam saw her look and stopped laughing.

"What?? In my dream he was like, 5 inches tall and I picked him up and asked Optimus if I could keep him! He looked cute! His voice was really high-pitched and cute! He kept saying, "Let me go, Let me go! I, Starscream, demand it!" Sam said, imitating the cute voice. He grinned as he heard a chuckle come from the radio.

"Sam, I don't think that I would let you keep Starscream, unless you took away his cannons...even at that size."

Sam burst into laughter.

"That's funny Optimus. That is what you said in my dream. I had to take away his cannons in order to keep him."

Optimus laughed and was about to say something when he was cut off by Ironhide's voice coming over the radio.

"Optimus! I have a reading on the exact location, thanks to our Decepticon friend. Who, by the way, I have identified." His voice sounded urgent and Optimus stopped laughing immediately.

"Who is it, Ironhide?" His voice sounded deeper that previously, indicating he was all business now. He hoped and prayed he didn't hear a certain name...well, two names, actually but one was far less likely.

"Starscream, Optimus. He actually was dumb enough to let the humans drop their jamming frequencies to a minimal amount. Then again...it is Starscream. He isn't known for great decisions." Ironhide said, allowing his dislike of Starscream to show through. Everyone seemed to agree. Optimus was none too thrilled, however.

"Starscream...I had hoped not to hear that name. How far away are we?"

"About 45 minutes away if we stay at this speed. 25, if we break the speed limit on this road and hit about 15 miles faster than that." Ratchet chimed in. Sam thought about it for a second, looking around the deserted road.

"Gun it, Optimus." It was all he needed to say.

The humans were at it again, mapping out Bumblebee with the Electromagnetic scanning. Bee had basically turned off his sensors and any related systems, making himself numb to the process. He still wondered if Sam was still mad at him. He sighed mentally, his body still jerking about with the pulses of electricity. He could still feel it, and it still made him cry out every now and then, but mostly everything was turned off. The mapping was nearly complete. They had about an hour left to go. Bee had no idea what was going to happen next. He just hoped that he could get out of here somehow. He didn't like it here, for obvious reasons. He had been awakened when they started mapping again, the electricity jolting him out of his stasis-like state. He stared at the ceiling, wishing the humans would stop already. Why did they have to continue this? Why was this so important? He had no idea. He just hoped that the worst didn't happen.

Bumblebee's thoughts were cut off when a dark shadow loomed over him, peering down at him. He focused on the figure, his optics narrowing, and then widening when he realized what he was looking at. He unlocked his vocal processors again, knowing Ratchet would be mad at him for using them so much.

"Stttt-" He stopped, did an internal scan, and tried again. "St-tarscream...Wh-sound of gears crushing together-at are you doing? Why are you hee-ere?" Worry filled the Autobot's Spark, not liking the fact that Starscream was there. It meant that he and the humans had teamed up. It was not good. Starscream took joy in the fact that the Autobot's vocal processors were going out on him. But that didn't matter, he would be offline soon. He just grinned darkly.

"Don't worry about that, Autobot! Just know that your existance is shortlived!" He laughed harshly and turned around and walked towards the windows, yelling at Simmons again, demanding to know how much longer. Bee let out a troubled rush of air. He was getting more and more worried. No one knew where he was at. He wondered if Sam even knew he was gone? He heard Simmons and Starscream arguing over something, but didn't care. He shut down his optics, feeling the electricity rush through him at regular intervals. He only hoped it would stop soon...and that Starscream's warning wasn't true.

"How much longer??" Sam asked, getting impatient. He was getting the feeling that something was wrong, and he didn't like it. He fidgeted in the seat, looking at Mikaela, who seemed equally worried.

"We are about 15 minutes away, Sam. Don't worry. Bumblebee will be fine." Prime's voice came over the radio, sounding somewhat calm, but the hints of worry were still there.

"You don't know that for sure, Optimus...do you?" Sam retorted, knowing that his emotions were getting the best of him again. He mentally kicked himself.

"No, I don't, Sam, to be honest. But we do what everyone else does...especially your race...hope for the best." Optimus said, trying to calm the boy down. He knew that Sam was guilt-ridden over what he had said to Bumblebee, even though it wasn't really directed at him and wasn't even meant to be heard. Sam fidgeted again, getting nervous. Optimus could feel his nervousness, and a low-key scan informed him that his heartrate was up, as was the adrenaline levels. "Sam, please try to calm down. Everything will be alright."

Ratchet picked up on Prime's scan. "Sam, your heartrate is getting rather high-" he interjected, but was interupped himself by Sam.

"I know it is! That is what happens when we humans get aggravated or nervous! It is normal!" he huffed, trying again to get comfortable. He turned and stared out the window next to him, watching the desert pass by next to him. Ratchet and Optimus fell silent. Sam took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, but it wasn't working. He felt horrible. He wanted Bee back and he wanted him to be safe. Mikaela looked at Sam and reached over, placing a hand on his shoulder. Sam turned in surprise, looking into her eyes, seeing the look in her eyes that told him that everything was going to be okay. For some reason, though, that look didn't help. He looked back out the window, letting her keep her hand on his shoulder. She understood that he was upset, and there wasn't too much she could do. But she stayed there, and she was glad that she came back when she did. She was a fool to not believe him in the first place, and she would do everything she could to make up for it. She didn't know how she would be able to, but she would.

Starscream had just about had it with this human. He was delaying as much as possible, it seemed. He paced around, wanting to just grab the Autobot by the legs and swing him around, and rip his chestplate open and absorb the spark right then and there. But what stopped him was the idea of the Spark intact for him to take. He knew that if he didn't do something, though, he was gonna lose his temper. He thudded out the door and transformed, barreling down the large hallway and out the base doors. He scorched the sky with his afterburners, feeling the rush of the air around his wings. It felt good. The rush of air always seemed to calm him down, and this time was no exception. It seemed to rip away his anger and hate...He flew high into the air, intending on letting out some pent up anger by flying as fast as he could, but something stopped him. There. He focused his sensors to the blip in his periphials. He growled as he picked up on the energy signatures of three Autobots. Upon further inspection, he realized it was Optimus, Ironhide and Ratchet. He opened a secured commlink to the base.

"Simmons! We have company!"

Simmons heard Starscream and grinned. He wondered how long it would take the extortionist to realize his transforming friend was missing. He pressed a button on the comm.

"Great, should I lay out the fine china and the silverware?" He released the commlink, wondering what smartass remark Starscream would give him for that.

The comment infuriated Starscream to the highest.

"You damned human! I'll take care of this myself then!" He fired up and blasted towards the intruders. Simmons, still at his desk, laughed and pressed the commlink button again.

"Haha, settle down Starscream, I am sending out my troops now," he said, still trying not to laugh too hard at the transforming jet. Starscream ignored him. When he was in range, he figured the Autobots would be seeing him by now, but he fired three missles towards them, each one having a name on it. One for Optimus, one for Ironhide, and one for Ratchet. Especially Ratchet. He would be the one to help Bumblebee if they even got inside.

"WATCH OUT!" Sam screamed, even before Starscream fired the missled. Optimus saw him and veered as soon as he saw the missles coming, and the other two behind him swerved in different directions. There was a loud explosion that was way too close, considering it blew Optimus off his wheels and flying through the air. He didn't dare transform with Sam and Mikaela inside, who knew what that would do to them. He did his best to control the flipping, and managed to land on his right wheels, and then teetered back down to his left, gaining balance again. He opened the door and Sam and Mikaela jumped out, barely escaping before Optimus began to transform. They looked over, and saw that the other two were barely hanging on themselves. Ratchet seemed to have taken the worst blow. He hadn't even transformed yet. Ironhide was standing in front of him, already transformed, his cannons out and trained at the the jet. He fired several rounds, annoyed at the fact that Starscream kept flipping and twisting out of the way. Optimus aimed his own cannon and fired, missing as well. Ironhide looked over at Optimus.

"Ratchet's been hit! He doesn't know if he can transform! He's running a diagnostic now!" Ironhide yelled, firing again and again at Starscream. They could hear laughter from the Decepticon as he twisted this way and that, then turning towards them and unleashing a barrage of rounds at Ironhide, trying to get to Ratchet. This pissed off Iornhide.

"Oh no, you didn't!" He began firing one round after the other, one blast from one cannon, the other from the next, and back and forth. Optimus joined in, firing from another angle, trying to hit Starscream. The blasts became too much for him and he veered off to the left, intending on regrouping and coming back. He headed back to the base to see if Simmons had kept his word on sending out troops. As he got there, he saw 6 tanks leaving the premises, along with 3 other F-22s that Simmons had managed to secure. He grinned at that, and came in for a landing, transforming as he hit the ground, his huge metal feet leaving huge indents in the ground.

"They're about 7 minutes away from here, now GET GOING!" He shouted, pointing towards the direction he came from.

Optimus leaned over Ratchet, his cannon still at the ready. He had taken a pretty bad blow to the side.

"Oh, Ratchet..." He sighed heavily. Ratchet finished his diagnostic and attempted some minor repairs that would allow him to transform.

"Give me a minute Optimus. It isn't as bad as you think," he said, working as quickly as he could in his current state. Optimus nodded.

"Just hurry, Ratchet. They will be back soon."

Sam and Mikaela stood to the side, worried about Ratchet. Sam gripped Mikaela's hand as they stood there wondering if Ratchet would be okay. After a moment, they heard a grinding sound, then it stopped.

"Oops."

Optimus raised a metal eyebrow.

"'Oops'? That is not what I wanted to hear, Ratchet." Optimus sounded worried.

Ratchet laughed, the voice sounding disembodied.

"No, I'm alright, just a wrong adjustment. Give me a second," he said, some metallic noises coming from him. After a moment panels started shifting and working around, and his entire frame moved and transformed. When the last panel clicked into place, he stood up straight.

"There, all better." He turned to Optimus. "Told ya I would be fine." He barely got the words out before the loud sound of jets came towards them.

Ironhide readied his cannons, as did Ratchet and Optimus.

"Looks like Starscream is back for more," Ironhide said satisfactorally, his cannons whining and whirring.

"Yeah, but he brought company!" Sam yelled, pointing at the other jets that followed, and the just now-seen dust cloud from the tanks.

"Oh, joy...more the merrier," said Ratchet, still internally repairing himself as best he could before he got stuck in the heat of battle. Optimus looked down at Sam and Mikaela. He had to find some way of getting them out of here before it got bad. He didn't want to lose the firepower, but the two small humans were far more vulnerable out here. He turned to Ratchet.

"Ratchet! We need to get Sam and Mikaela out of here! Can you take them?" Optimus asked, apprehension showing in his voice. Ratchet, in response, transformed and drove over to them, flinging the door open.

"Yes, I can take them. Get in, you two. We are heading to the base the roundabout way."

Sam and Mikaela didn't have to be asked twice as they jumped in. Ratchet shut the door and sped off, leaving Optimus and Ironhide left to fight the battle.

"Good luck, you two...let us know what happens!" Ratchet said to them as they left. The only response he got was the sound of cannons firing and Ironhide making wisecrack remarks to Starscream...something about taking it and liking it...

End Chapter 4


	5. Chapter 5

Simmons stood at the windows of his office, staring down at the large yellow metal alien. He had a cup of coffee in his right hand as he stood there, watching the technicians pull away wires and plugs where they had everything set up for the Electromagnetic mapping. They had gotten all of the information they needed. Now, it was time to find out what made this creature tick. He decided he would personally be down there when they started. They were almost done taking everything off as he turned around and headed for the elevator in his office. He stopped in front of the doors and pressed a little white button that displayed an arrow pointing down. He waited a moment and then stepped in as the metallic doors opened and then closed behind him. He had an odd grin on his face, almost like a kid at christmas. He couldn't wait. He had wanted to do this before, but he was stopped by that damned military officer, Lennox.

damn him to hell! Simmons thought to himself. but it doesn't matter now. I will have what I want finally. He stepped out of the elevator as the doors opened back up, revealing the bay beyond the doors. In the center laid Bumblebee, or, in his terms, NBE-2. He had often caught himself saying the creature's name, and he kept kicking himself for that. Why would he need to use that thing's name? He shrugged mentally and walked up to one of the head technicians.

"How much longer until you can start?" He asked, taking a sip from his styrofoam cup. The tech looked up at him, back at the computer in front of him, and then back at Simmons.

"Well, we are nearly finished getting everything out of the way. We still need to figure out how to get it offline before we do this." The tech said, looking thoughtful. "About 20 minutes? Depending on how long it takes to figure that out, 30, 40 at most."

Simmons didn't seem to happy about that.

"All those scans you did, and you still can't figure out how to shut it off? Why not just flip the 'off' switch?" He obviously didn't know that much about the Cybertronian race. The tech stared at him in disbelief.

"The 'off' switch? Sir, you must be joking. What life form do you know of that comes equipped with an 'off' switch?" He was completely surprised at his boss. Surely after working at Sector 7 he would know more than that...or did he spend most of his time in his office? Simmons leaned in closer to the tech.

"The Spark, idiot. You take out the spark, you make it go offline. Hence, the 'off' switch. We need that Spark anyway, so why not start there?" He leaned in closer, trying to be intimidating. Apparently it was working, because the poor tech leaned backwards bit by bit as Simmons leaned closer until he fell off of his chair. He instantly stood back up, brushing his coat off and picking up his chair. He looked flushed with embarassment, whereas Simmons stood back and grinned. He loved tormenting his techs, especially after his job got taken away from him in Sector 7. He turned and began to walk out.

"Just hurry. That overgrown rustbucket Starscream isn't going to be happy if we make him wait much longer..." He got back into the elevator and went back up to his snug little overlook office and sat down at his desk. He sat there for a moment, then thought better of it and got up, grabbing his rolling chair and wheeled it over to the windows and sat down, looking down at his little accomplishment. He grinned darkly to himself.

"They'll be too late..."

What he didn't know, Bee was still consious, and he was attempting to send out a signal. He had sensed the presence of...someone. Fortunately, the jamming sequences had been lowered significantly, and he managed to break through with at least something. He hoped that the others would get it...He didn't like what he had heard about his Spark. He was not about to let that sludgebucket take his life, his spark.

Outside the battle was raging, and both sides were taking serious damage. Ratchet managed to escape the worst of it as he wove in and out of the tanks, dodging the blasts. He had to, considering he was charged with Sam and Mikaela. He didn't know what was happening to Prime and Ironhide. He hoped that they were okay. He sped up through an opening between two tanks and barely grazed through, speeding towards the base. He had to get there as soon as possible. They didn't know if Bee was still online or not. He hoped, for Sam's sake the most, that Bee was alright.

Primus, I hope that- Ratchet's thoughts were cut off by a very weak signal that he identified immedately. He veered to the left, screeching to a halt, analizing the signal. They were far enough away from the tanks that he had a moment to do so.

"Sam! Bee's alive! He is seriously injured...he had to turn off most of his neural processors and sensors to avoid the..." He paused, not sure if Sam would want to hear it. Sam stared at Ratchet's radio in shock.

"What?? He's alive? THEN WHAT DID YOU STOP FOR?!?" He yelled, wanting to hit the radio. Ratchet spun his tires immediatly and fishtailed out of there, headed for the base again. They could see the opening already, the big bay doors leading to the huge hallway that would take them where they needed to go...

"Dammit, Starscream! Quit missing and hit me already!" Ironhide yelled, finding it hilarious that Starscream couldn't hit him. "Come on! The HUMAN pilots have hit me already! Is your AIM really THAT BAD?!?" He taunted, jumping from side to side and doing front-rolls across the ground to avoid being hit, firing round after round of missles and plasma blasts at the poor-aiming fighterjet. He had already managed to hit Starscream 4 times, but unfortunately he didn't hit anything major...yet. He heard Optimus cursing something in Cybertronian as he fired over and over at Starscream, not wanting to shoot at the humans if he could help it. The most he would possibly do is try to clip the wings, but then that would cause them to crash and possibly be killed that way. He had no way of taking them out of the sky safely, and that frustrated him. He popped off another blast, catching Starscream on one of his tailfins.

"Ahhg! Damn you, Autobot!" He veered to the right, pain ripping through him. He had just about had it. At this rate, he would be in stasis by tomorrow night. He was using way too much energy fighting this stupid battle. He swung around and aimed carefully for Ironhide, flying right for him. Ironhide took aim as well, his cannons clicking as they readied to fire. But at the last second, Starscream changed course and fired all his weapons in quick succession, hitting Optimus square in the chest. Sparks flew everywhere and Optimus yelled out, falling backwards and hitting the ground with a loud, deafening THUD. The ground shook under him as he hit, creating a small earthquake. Ironhide saw this and became enraged.

"STARSCREAM! YOU LOWDOWN DIRTY -EXCUSE- OF A DECEPTICON!" He aimed his cannons and let them charge for a few seconds longer than normal and followed Starscream's path. He ran an analysis of his path, and then aimed about 20 feet in front of the Decepticon and fired a barrage of plasma and missles together. If he aimed right, then the blasts would hit Starscream dead on. Starscream barely had time to get out of the way of the worst of it, but he was still hit. And bad. He got hit on his left wing, feeling it get ripped away from his body. Fire and sparks erupted on his side where the wing was and he screamed out. His navigational systems went haywire and he started plummeting. He needed to transform..he tried, and found that he couldn't. He watched in horror as the ground rushed up to him, bearing a welcome he didn't want.

Ironhide didn't watch the Decepticon hit the earth, but heard and felt it well enough. Behind him a huge cloud of dust erupted, but he didn't care. He was at Optimus's side in less than two seconds, his cannons already shifting back to his hands. He scanned over his fallen leader, not liking what he saw.

"Optimus...can you hear me?" He found himself holding his breath, hoping he would answer.

"Y...yes...I can..hear you..." Optimus sputtered out, trying to move. "That damned Starscream..." Ironhide placed a hand on Optimus.

"Stay still, you are badly damaged. I am amazed that you managed to survive that. You may be Optimus Prime, but you are still as vulnerable as all of us." Optimus managed a laugh.

"Ironhide, you do not give me enough credit. He stunned me, yes. The damage, it is moderate. He did not hit my Spark, and that is the important thing." He moved slowly to get up, looking down at the damaged armor on his chest. "Ratchet can easily fix this." He looked up, noticing that none of the fighter jets were firing on them anymore. Ironhide looked up as well, noticing the same thing.

"With their leader gone, or at least out of commission, they don't want to fight anymore." Ironhide observed. He looked back at Optimus, noticing that he was staring past him towards the dust cloud that was slowly disapating. Ironhide turned around and looked, grinning to himself.

"Is that Starscream?" Optimus asked, raising a heavy metallic brow. He looked at the back of Ironhide's head as he was turned away from Optimus. Ironhide looked back at Optimus.

"MM...Maybe?" Ironhide shrugged his shoulders, metal scraping against metal. "He hit you. That opens up the 'everything goes' rules in my book." He looked at Optimus innocently. Optimus made a sound of air escaping from an engine, sighing and placing a hand on his forehead, trying not to laugh at his weapons officer. After a moment he reached out and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Let's get to Bumblebee. I can pick up something from him now. I am sure you can, as well."

Ironhide nodded.

And even though it was just the two of them, Optimus had to say it, for old time's sake.

"Autobots! Transform and Roll Out!"

Ironhide grinned at his leader and transformed alongside him, spinning his own tires and heading off towards the base, Optimus Prime rumbling along right beside him.

End Chapter 5


	6. Chapter 6

Bumblebee was getting anxious. He didn't like the fact that the techs were preparing various ominous looking tools. He stayed still, though, and increased his signal, hoping that the humans would not notice. He needed to get across the urgency of the situation. But his thoughts were cut off by a loud beeping noise coming from one of the tech's computers.

"SIR! There is a high energy emmination coming from NBE-2!" The tech yelled, scanning his readouts on the computer. Simmons jumped up and punched the comlink.

"Increase the jamming frequencies! It's sending out a signal! And get that thing offline already!" He yelled, getting angry. He didn't want that creature calling out to its friends. He knew that they were out there, and he had no idea how long that thing had been calling out to them. He got up and went to the elevator and got in, feeling the sliding and gutwrenching feeling as the elevator stopped at the base level. He stepped out and went up to the tech, scanning the readouts himself. He noticed an incoming signal, but noticed that as it reached further inside, the signal got scrambled.

"Good. We don't need them finding anything else out." He walked over to Bee's head and slapped it hard. "You think you are sneaky! I know you are awake, look at me!" Simmons yelled, angry. Bee decided to humor the little human and turned his head to him, big blue-green optics staring Simmons right in the face, one of them literally right in front of his face. Simmons backed up again, still not used to that. He stepped forward again after a second. Bee mentally grinned at himself for being able to intimidate Simmons.

"Your friends are out there...but they won't get in. I told you I was not going to let anyone get in my way this time. Those jets and tanks will rip your friends to peices. Not to mention our dear old Starscream, bucket of bolts that he is..." His voice trailed off, dislike for the Decepticon showing. Bumblebee chose this moment to speak a bit.

"W---hy do you side with hi---mmm?" he asked, his vocal processors still damaged and not working so well. Simmons stared at Bee, looking straight into the Autobot's optic that was right in front of his face. He blinked, realizing that he only sided with him to track down Bee. He put on a nonchalant face and turned around, walking around the floor a bit.

"To get to you, of course! And in return, we will give him your Spark after we study it. We are going to learn everything we can about you and your race, no matter what it takes!" He spun around and stared at the big yellow transformer. Bee stared back sadly. "You cou-----ld have jus--sttt askedddd. No nee--dd to destt--ttroy us...to le--arn..."

Simmons laughed.

"My dear robot, there is no better way to learn that to disect and take apart to learn what goes where, what does what...and how does a ball of electricity stay within your body? How does it power you? We want to know these things. We, as humans, are VERY inquisitive by nature. We can't help it. We find something out in the middle of nowhere, and we need to pick it up and study it." Simmons retorted, a grin of obvious self-approval written all over his face. He was going to show the government what happens when you shut down an organization. They band together and open up their own and continue what they had started. He was not about to let his dream go of studying these creatures. He turned his back on Bumblebee and walked away.

"Terrance, you and your team get to work on him...NOW. Start with that damned Spark." He said as he got into the elevator, that same dark grin on his face that Starscream had displayed once before. The tech, Terrance, nodded.

"Yessir!"

Ratchet skidded to a halt outside the base doors, leaving long skid marks on the pavement. Sam and Mikaela stumbled out just in time for Ratchet to transform. The two of them were used to it by now, but at the same time, they still found it facinating. They watched in brief awe as they watched panels, gears and other metal parts sliding, twisting, moving and turning into place, forming Ratchet's humanoid body. Behind them there was a low rumbling noise. The two of them turned to see the tanks rushing towards them, kicking up the dust from the barren earth.

"Great, what now?" Mikaela asked, turning and looking up at the huge doors in front of them. Ratchet, careful where he stepped, took a step back and aimed his arm at the doors, enjoying the feeling of his arm twisting and shifting, metal against metal, forming into his cannon. Sam and Mikaela stepped back a bit when his cannon began to hum, then whine.

"Get behind me," ordered Ratchet, and the two small humans scurried behind his right foot as he fired at the doors, fire, rock, metal and shrapnel flying in all directions. Sam and Mikaela ducked down a bit, covering their heads with their arms. As the dust settled, another blast hit, knocking Ratchet off balance and sending Sam and Mikaela sprawling onto the debris-laden concrete. A piece of sharp metal lodged itself into the soft underside of Mikaela's right forearm as she slid forward against the ground, slicing it way open. She cried out in pain and sat up immediately, grabbing the metal and pulling it out of her arm. Blood was rushing out of her arm as she did so. She threw the metal and grabbed her arm tightly, trying to stop the bleeding. Bright red crimson now spattered both her and the ground. Sam looked up when he heard her cry out the first time, and was horrified to see her covered in her own blood.

"MIKAELA! NO! NO-NO-NO-NO!" He jumped up and ran over to her just as another blast hit, causing him to stumble across the ground. Ratchet stepped between them and the tanks that were now firing on them and began firing blast after blast of liquid-blue plasma, aiming at the ground in front of the tanks on purpose. He wasn't about to hurt them, but he had to do something. He was creating a ditch for them to get stuck in. One big enough for them to get into, but small enough that they would be at such an angle that they wouldn't be able to get out without help.

Sam skidded in front of Mikaela and gripped her shoulders, kneeling down in front of her.

"Oh, God, Mikaela..." One quick glance told him that she needed something to patch that up right away. He let her go and pulled off his shirt, ripping it into long strips and wrapping them around her arm. He tied them neatly but tightly around her arm, wincing everytime she cried out in pain. She knew that he wasn't trying to hurt her, but it hurt all the same. She nodded at him to continue, because it needed to be done and she understood.

Above them, Ratchet stopped firing, pleased with his work. The tanks were now effectively stopped, no injuries were accrued, and they could no longer effectively fire at anything. He turned around, and instantly retracted his earlier thought of no injuries. He looked down in shock at Sam and Mikaela, worried about the red lubricant everywhere all over the two of them.

"Are you two okay? You are leaking lubricants..." The medical officer asked, kneeling down next to them. His knee hit the ground with a dull 'thud', the ground reverberating slightly in response. Sam looked up at Ratchet.

"She's been hurt. Her arm's been cut up bad." Sam looked back down at her, checking her arm. The strips from his shirt were now showing a crimson line where the cut was, but the bleeding had slowed. He looked back up at Ratchet, who said exactly what Sam was thinking.

"She needs medical assistance, and soon." He scanned the amount of blood that had gotten everywhere, then ran a precursory scan over Mikaela. Besides her arm and her raised heartrate, she seemed to be stablized. Sam had done well at patching her up, and he was using what was left of his shirt to make a sling for her arm.

"She should be alright for the moment. My scans indicate that she will be fine for the moment, but she will need medical attention as soon as possible." Ratchet stated. Sam nodded at him.

"I know...I have done what I can,"Sam said, placing the sling around her arm and tying it around the opposet side of her neck. Ratchet gave Sam a nod of approval.

"You've done well, Sam. But we need to get going. I can't sense Bumblebee's anymore. They have increased the interference again. I don't take that as a good sign," Ratchet commented, transforming back into his rescue vehicle state. He opened a door to them. "Get in. We need to get in there as fast as we can, and this is the best way to do it."

Sam nodded and helped up Mikaela and they both climbed in. Ratchet shut the door behind them and then spun tires, aiming for the door in front of them. He barreled over the debris on the ground, hitting rocks and whatnot, causing them to jerk around a bit. Mikaela hissed as she hit her arm against the side of Ratchet's door.

"Sorry, Mikaela." He apologized, trying to slow down a bit. Mikaela nodded.

"It's okay, Ratchet. I want to get to Bee as fast as possible myself. Go for it." She said, giving him permission to speed away. After about two minutes, they found the double doors that lead to the bay that Bee was in. They had no idea if he was in there or not, no thanks to the jamming frequencies. Ratchet screeched to a halt and opened the door again, letting out Sam and Mikaela. They stepped out and Ratchet transformed again, walking up and inspecting the door. He tapped on it, listening to the resonances. He leaned back and looked down at the two of them.

"This door is 2.745 feet thick. I am betting Primus that Bee is behind here. Is there some sort of opening mechanism that we can use to open this door?"

Mikaela looked around, noting the small panel next to the door. She walked up to it and inspected it.

"Here, there is an access panel here. But it is a fingerprint scanner... We can't get in this way..." She said forlornly, looking up at Ratchet. He made a odd noise, sounding like half-sigh, half-growl, gears and metal grinding together with air rushing between.

"Alright, the old fashioned way, then," he said, taking aim for the door. He didn't get a chance to blast it, though.

"You gonna take all the fun out of it, Ratchet?" A familar voice said, metal clicking into place. Ratchet turned, as did the two humans.

"Ironhide! Optimus! Took you two long enough!" Ratchet said, watching as the two figures walked up to them. He then noticed the scorch mark in the middle of Optimus's chest.

"Optimus...are you alright? You've been hit," He asked, worried about his leader. Optimus nodded.

"Yes, Ratchet, I am fine. Starscream took a hit at me, and managed to hit. But I am fully functional." He nodded at Ratchet, reassuring his comrade. Ironhide stepped up to Sam and Mikaela, noting her arm.

"What happened to you?"

"I got cut. I'm fine." She said, trying to shrug it off. But the pain of even shrugging crossed her face as she winced a bit. Ironhide grumbled a bit. Humans and always trying to look tough.

"If you say so, Mikaela." He turned towards the door. "So, are we gonna blast our way in, or what?" His weapons clicked, then started to hum softly. Optimus placed a large metal hand on Ironhide's shoulders.

"Wait. If Bumblebee is behind these doors, then if we blast through, we may be causing more damage than we want to do. We need a fine cut." He turned to Ratchet. "Ratchet, can you modify your laser to cut through this metal?"

Ratchet looked thoughtful.

"I think so, sir. Let me try." After a few moments of whirring and clicking, he turned to the door and aimed his laser at the door hinge and fired a steady stream of red light at the door, the metal turning first red, then yellow, and finally white where it was being sliced through by the laser. Ratchet slowly worked down, cutting a fine line into it. After a few moments, he moved back up and started another line, this time working slowly around to the other side, creating a large hole. When he finished, he turned to the others.

"Everyone, stand back. I mean WAY back."

Everyone moved away to a safe distance, and Ratchet took a step back, then lunged forward, sliding a foot into the base of the door. The door moved in and then began to topple towards them, just as he wanted. He rolled out of the way, just as the large metal door came falling down, revealing what was inside...

End Chapter 6


	7. Chapter 7

Okay, here we go, next chapter... 

The door fell down as Ratchet kicked it down, hitting the ground with a deafening crash.  
What was revealed behind the door was something that NO ONE wanted to see.

Bumblebee laying on his back and tied down with straps and chains, crying out, the mechanical sounds resounding off the walls. Technicians were everywhere, including several up on his chest, one with a small precision diamond-blade saw. Sparks were flying everywhere as he was trying to cut through Bee's chest armor. Simmons was standing off to the side, arms crossed,obviously happy with what was going on. When the door fell, however, all motion stopped. The sparks stopped, the techs stopped and everyone turned and looked. Several techs dropped notebooks and various tools at the sight of Optimus,  
Ironhide and Ratchet. Mikaela watched in horror as Sam began to freak out.

"BUMBLEBEE! OH GOD,OH GOD,OH GOD...NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO! GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Sam screamed, running towards the fallen door, not caring that it was still smoldering hot. Optimus reached down and grabbed him right before he hit the hot metal, ignoring his cries to be let go. Mikaela watched in horror as Sam began to freak out.

"Sam, would you rather be burned? That metal is still hot." He said, stepping up on the door himself and bending down to get through the doorway that Ratchet had created. Techs backed away as Optimus walked in just a step or two. He looked down at the tech on top of Bumblebee, who was still holding the saw. The poor tech's eyes widened and he just froze, not able to move.

The sound of clapping broke the silence. Everyone's attention turned to the source of the noise, seeing Simmons there, slapping his hands together. Mikaela gave him a dirty look, not all unlike that of what the Autobots gave him, too. She stood behind Ratchet, still holding her arm, which was still bleeding just a bit. The pain had subdued to a dull throbbing, but it was still enough to make her wince every now and then.

"Wonderful, absolutely wonderful. Beautiful entrance. But if you will excuse us, we have work to do." He turned around and looked at Terrance, who was the tech on top of Bumblebee with the saw. "Get back to work. Now."

Terrance looked between Simmons and Optimus Prime, back and forth, unsure of what to do. Simmons glared at him threateningly.

"NOW, Terrance! Or I will throw you at Starscream myself!"

Terrance obviously didn't like that idea at all and inched forward again, but then glanced back up at Optimus, who was staring down at the small frightened human. Sam wiggled around in Optimus's hand, yelling and screaming.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM BUMBLEBEE YOU JACKASS!" He yelled, trying his hardest to get away from Prime to be next to his best friend. The tech looked at Sam, then at Simmons, then at the saw in his hands. He looked at the creature in front of him, who seemed to look up at him with a forlorn look in his now dimmed optics. Fuck..what am I doing? he thought. He stood up and looked at Simmons, throwing the sawblade at his feet.

"I'm not doing this anymore. You had me believing that this was the right thing to do, sir. It isn't. I am killing something. I refuse to take part of this anymore." Terrance said, staring defiantly down at Simmons. Simmons looked thoughtful for a moment, and then shook his head, reaching for his side, where his gun rested.  
"Are you sure about that?" He asked threateningly. Terrance looked defiant still.

"Yes sir. I won't do it anymore."

Simmons shrugged and began to pull out his gun, stopped by a loud clicking noise, followed quickly by a humming noise. He turned to see a very big cannon in his face, the core of the cannon glowing a fierce blue. He looked past the cannon to see the big black Autobot, Ironhide, aiming right for him. Simmons paused, then slowly moved his hand away from his firearm. He raised his hands slowly, backing up.

"Alright...alright..." he said, backing away from Ironhide. The tech, Terrance, looked up at Optimus, fear in his eyes.

"I...I'm..I'm sorry..." He began backing away, stumbling over Bumblebee's form. Optimus reached out and took him carefully in his other hand, lifting him up and then setting him down onto the ground, letting Sam down at the same time.

"I understand, Terrance. You have made a good choice. I commend you." Optimus said, voicing his approval. Sam ran up to Bumblebee, kicking himself every step of the way. He crawled up on top of him, careful around the wound that was inflicted.

"Bee...Oh, God, Bee...I am so sorry..." He carefully touched the shredded metal around his chestplate, feeling the heat from where the saw had been. Bumblebee made a noise that sounded like a whine of a dying computer fan, only louder. It killed Sam inside. He looked up to Ratchet.

"Ratchet...help him...please..." There were tears in his eyes as he looked up at the big medical officer, who was already making his way towards Bumblebee. Sam stepped back a few feet, still staying on Bumblebee, not wanting to leave him. Ratchet leaned over and scanned Bee's form, a grave look crossing his face. Sam began to worry even more.

"How bad is it, Ratchet?" Optimus asked, voicing the question that got stuck in Sam's throat. Ratchet didn't respond right away, his optics pulling more scans in for processing.

"Not good. His Spark casing was already being cut into. It will take some time for me to repair this. I can make minor repairs now, but we will need to get him somewhere that I can have more space and time to work freely." he said, finishing his scans. Terrance had backed up to a chair against the wall and sat down, listening to the whole conversation. He felt horrible. How could I have let myself believe that jerk? What was I thinking? I must be a complete idiot to think that...and now look what I have done... He thought to himself, no longer aware that Optimus was still watching him.

Optimus had seen the small human slump down into the chair, analizing the expressions on the tech's face. He realized that the tech must feel awful. Ratchet's voice broke through his thought processes.

"-a good thing he stopped when he did, though. By stopping then, he saved Bee's life." Ratchet said, starting the small repairs that he could do. Small sparks flew again, but this time it was from Ratchet's laser, which finely welded back together plates and wires that held Bee's Spark casing. Bumblebee made small pained noises, trying to stifle them, knowing that Ratchet meant no harm and that he was trying to fix him. Sam wiped his face with his arm, sweat and tears running down his face. Mikaela stepped around the feet of the other Autobots and walked right up to Simmons, anger in her eyes. She stood in front of him, staring him straight in the face.

"I suggest you go back into whatever hole you crawled out from...or join my father in prison." She hissed. "Then again,  
they might like you there..." She gave a dark grin, thinking of all the wonderful things that they could do to him. She was NOT happy at all. Simmons stared at her in shock.

"You wouldn't."

Mikaela reached into her pocket and grabbed her cell phone, flipping it open.

"Try me." she said, glaring at him.

Simmons shut his mouth, just staring at her with putrid hate. He didn't want to go to prison, but he had a feeling that if he spoke another word, that was where he was headed.

The next few seconds were a blur of confusion. Starting out with high-pitched, ear-piercing screeching, the whole bay exploded in a shower of metal and concrete. Ratchet covered Bee with his own body, Sam ducking for cover under Ratchet. Mikaela and Simmons ducked under Ironhide, who didn't seem to care at the moment, seeing as how he was far more concerned with what just blew up around them. Optimus went flying forward, crashing into Ratchet, but not hard enough to cause more damage to Bumblebee. He hit the ground, grumbling. What the hell was going on? He turned and faced the doorway, his optic sensors meeting with a pair of red optics further down the hallway.

Starscream.

End Chapter 7

Sorry if this one is short, I didn't have much time. I am over my time limit as it is...heheh I was supposed to be gone at 1 am, and it is now 1:18 am...so there we go. I hope you like, I will try to update in the next few days. nods


	8. Chapter 8

Okay, just to let you know, I am pulling off of some information that I found a while back, I don't even remember where I found it. I am also delving into areas that I am not completely familiar with and pulling some stuff up from the recesses of my imagination. Please keep an open mind on this…I am adding a bit of my own views on some of the characters, but trying to keep true to their characters. I swear I have little versions of the characters on my shoulders telling me what to do… So be kind, I am this IS my first TF fic, after all….Enjoy!

Chapter 8: When all is said and done…

Starscream.

He was walking down the large hallway rather quickly, as fast as he could, considering his injuries. He had somehow managed to transform himself, the injuries making him look even more ominous. His left wing had been completely ripped off; the area around it was completely blackened and charred, sparks occasionally flying from it. The side of his face was also blackened and charred; the blast that Ironhide had delivered damn near killed him. How he survived the crash he had no idea. But he didn't care about that now. His target was in front of him, and he was grinning sadistically, happy to see that his foes had fallen down in the first initial blast that he had delivered. His missile launcher was still smoking as he walked, almost ran, down the hallway. He took aim again, this time aiming for the Autobot medic, tired of having to deal with the Autobots coming back over and over again. He fired, dark mechanical laughter ringing through the hall as the missiles screeched through the air. Optimus saw this and grabbed a large piece of concrete that lay near him. He brought it up in front of him and stepped in front of Ratchet just in time for the blast to hit. Rubble, concrete and fire sprayed everywhere, but the majority of the damage was only done to the concrete. Optimus suffered minor damage from it. He started towards Starscream, yelling behind him.

"Ratchet! Get to work on Bumblebee! We need him to be able to transform and get out of here!" He yelled, his voice resonating down the hall and behind them, his faceguard sliding and shifting into place.

Starscream, in all his many, many years of fighting for the Decepticons, had never had a chance such as this. Optimus was rushing towards him, down a large hallway that was big enough for just one of them to walk down. He took aim again and fired, watching as the missile flew in a beautiful straight line towards the Autobot leader. He laughed hysterically, seeing no way out for Optimus. Optimus considered ducking, but there was no way to do that and keep the others safe. He growled. He would do what ever it took to keep everyone else safe. He raised an arm and felt metal shift around his hand, a cannon of his own forming. Black and gleaming, it was a nice offset to his bright blue, red and silver colors. A quiet hum quickly purred into a loud whine as the core of his cannon turned bright blue. The missile was damn near on top of him. He opened fire on the missile, raising his other arm to shield the part of his face that was unprotected. The blast from his cannon met with the missile, creating a shower of fire, smoke and debris.

Behind him in the bay, Ratchet had finished the minor repairs and Bee was able to, albeit painfully, transform back into his alternative form. Ratchet looked around, wondering if there was another way out of here. He looked down at Simmons.

"Is there another way out of here?" He asked, watching the human. Simmons was not thrilled with this, but it would beat getting blown to bits by Starscream. He walked over to a panel that was on the back wall, watching it regularly blink red. Terrance, who had taken cover when the first blast hit, came out from under a desk. He looked at Simmons, who returned his look with a dark glare. Terrance stared back at him, giving him his own dark look.

"Now isn't the time for this, Simmons. We need to get out of here. So whatever you are wanting to say, save it for later." He said, turning around and walking over to Sam and Mikaela. Sam watched him for a moment, a slight feeling of dislike for him, but at the same time, he was grateful for him stopping when he did. Terrance looked at him for a moment, wondering how much he hated him at the moment. Sam surprised him by holding out his hand.

"Thanks…for stopping when you did." Sam said, the look in his eyes letting the tech know that all was forgiven. Terrance smiled and took Sam's hand, shaking it warmly.

"No problem. Now, let's get out of here." He said, looking over at Simmons. Ironhide had joined him, looking over his shoulder as he punched in a code, listening to it beep multiple times and the red light changing to green. They all watched as a panel in the wall just barely large enough for the Autobots to slip through in their alternate forms slid open. Simmons looked up at Ironhide with a hint of disgust.

"There. Now you can't say I never helped you," he spat out, angry at the whole situation. Ironhide didn't say a word to him, but instead turned to Ratchet and Bee, who was already in his car form.

"Let's go. Transform and get the hell out of here." He said, pulling his cannons back and transforming back into the GMC Topkick that he had taken as his earthly form. Ratchet nodded and transformed, metal and panels shifting and pulling in upon themselves until he was back into the shape of the Rescue vehicle. Sam, Mikaela and Terrance all climbed into the Rescue vehicle as Ratchet opened one of his doors for them. Ironhide opened a door to Simmons, deciding to be at least somewhat nice to the human for letting them go. Simmons reluctantly climbed in and one after the other, a small convoy of vehicles rushing out, loud blasts from the hallway seeming to give them a solemn farewell…

"WHY WON'T YOU JUST DIE, OPTIMUS PRIME?!?" screamed out Starscream, infuriated by Optimus's constant deferral of his missiles. He had fought for so much since he joined in with the Decepticons, but always were his efforts seemingly brushed aside, by both Autobot and Decepticon alike. He fired another round at Optimus, who, again, deterred his blasts with his own. Optimus looked at Starscream through a shower of sparks and fire.

"I will die only if necessary to keep my friends alive, Starscream. What do you fight for? Megatron is gone, and you are the only Decepticon left on the earth. Why must you still fight?" Optimus asked him, shouting over the explosions. He kept his cannon still trained on Starscream as the sparks faded, allowing them to see each other a little better.

Starscream aimed again, but paused for a second when Optimus asked that. He shook his head quickly and geared up to fire again.

"You Autobots have continuously wronged us! You never listened to us, never cared about our opinions! You and every other damned Autobot always thought you were right! Where was our time to be right? Where was our justice??" He yelled, firing again. He was angry. While he had once been an explorer and scientist of his planet, he often saw the views of the Decepticons to have just as much validity as those of the Autobots. He eventually sided with the Decepticons, but found that Megatron's ideas of attacking the Autobots was often a moot point. They were always rushing in, brute force. No, what they needed was a precision strike, quick, hard and to where no one would have seen it coming. He had planned it out numerous times in his own mind, but never did he have the chance to even introduce the plan to Megatron. He always regarded Starscream as nothing but a little coward and a traitor. But Starscream stuck by his ideas, slowly and quietly gathering loyalties. He presented his own ideas to those who would follow him, and each often agreed with him, finding that a precision strike would be the most effective way to eliminate the enemy. He felt that he and the other Decepticons deserved their time in the spotlight, not always crouching in the shadows of the Autobots. He hated it, and he wanted it to end finally. If he could just take out the leader…but someone would always step up, someone would always take his place...

"Starscream!" Optimus yelled, countering his blast again with another of his own. "Decisions made that long ago were made for the entirety of Cybertron! Or did you not realize this??" he yelled again, shielding his face from the shower of sparks again. He backed up a step, avoiding a large rock that fell down from the ceiling that had broken free from the constant blasts. Starscream didn't want to hear his excuses.

"Since when were our ideas never good enough, Prime?? Huh? Answer me that! Why were our ideas never good enough!?" He shot back, anger and hurt feelings rising to the surface. He had kept everything back for several thousands of years, constantly fighting, but never bringing to voice his thoughts. But for some reason, it was all coming to surface now.

Optimus regarded Starscream for a moment, swearing he could almost sense more than just Decepticon anger in his voice. He lowered his cannon just a couple of inches, watching him. Starscream didn't move, but still had his missile launcher trained on Optimus.

"Starscream, everyone's ideas were always brought to the table with equal footing. It didn't matter who it was. But some, yes, were found to be of better ideas than others. Some were found to be of more benefit to the whole than others. It was mere coincidence that many of them ended up being of Decepticon origin…" Optimus explained, trying to get the Decepticon to see what had truly happened. He had been a part of that time, long ago. Making decisions to help better Cybertron…sometimes was not always the best profession that he had been in. But because his and many other's decisions, the two factions split further and further apart, one accusing the other of being favoritists, always brushing off the Decepticon's ideas, favoring those of the Autobots. But that was not the case. He had no idea how it ended up that most of the Decepticon ideas were often trashed, but he had a theory that with every idea that had been shot down, that Transformer often sided with those who had been rejected to begin with, and thus began a slow process of creating the factions. Time went by and things got worse, more ideas were either rejected or accepted, and the rift between the Decepticons and the Autobots got larger and larger. Optimus had seen this happening, but he was often reassured by his peers that things would simmer down and would be fine. That was not to be. War broke out one day, and it had been that way ever since. Megatron, Optimus's brother, had sided with the Decepticons, who named him their leader shortly before the war broke out. Since then, the Decepticons had decidedly the upper hand, the war destroying much of their home world, thus forcing the Autobots to take refuge amongst the stars.

Starscream shook his head, the movements causing sparks to fly from where his wing had been. He stifled a cry of pain and strengthened his aim at the Autobot leader, his chest plate dead center of his sighting.

"You were never fair to us, Optimus! How could it have been mere coincidence?? How?" He yelled back, firing again, crying out in pain this time as the action caused more sparks to fly. His launcher lowered and he raised his other arm up, gripping his shoulder. Sparks seemed to drip like molten metal from his wing joint, causing him more pain than he had ever been in. Optimus raised his cannon again, firing back, but this time missing by a fraction. He singed the side of the missile, causing it to go slightly off track. Optimus ducked on reflex, instantaneously hoping that everyone had gotten out. He spun around as the missile shrieked past him, noting that no one was in the bay, watching the far wall explode in a burst of concrete and fire. He turned back to Starscream, who was obviously in pain. He stood back up, his cannon lowered.

"Starscream, did you ever think that perhaps the reason everyone on the Decepticon side was always those with ideas rejected was because they joined the ranks AFTER their idea had been rejected?" He asked honestly, wondering if Starscream himself had noticed that. He watched as Starscream stopped, then looked up at him with a look of shock. It had happened to him…

"_I'm sorry, Starscream," the Leader said, choosing his words carefully. "Your idea is in fact a very contributing idea, but it needs reanalyzing. We need something that can be beneficial to our entire planet, not just this city. Please, we would be honored if you brought back your idea to us in the future for another review," Optimus spoke, his words to the wise. He was highly respected on his planet, a Leader amongst his kind. For years and years they had this system, every Cybertronian had the chance to bring ideas to the Leaders to help better their world. Optimus hated turning down ideas, because each of them were often very good. Starscream, at this point, was in fact a young scientist, promising and full of energy. Often, however, the ones who took it the hardest were the younger ones, who did not see yet the benefits of ideas that spanned across their world, and often had ideas that would better only their city. Most often did come back, with bigger and better ideas, letting their first turndown be fuel to create something larger. But with Starscream, his ambition got in the way. He felt as if his ideas were constantly being shot down, and he often conversed with others like him becoming friends with those who were talking about an overthrow. His anger pulled him in, and before he knew it, he found himself under the command of the new Decepticon Leader, Megatron. At first, he followed him loyally. But after the years went by, and they went through many failed attempts at taking down the Autobots, he began to dislike Megatron…_

_And now…_

He straightened up, lowering his hand from his wound, sparks still falling down from the seared opening. Somehow this Autobot leader had managed to force him to access old memories of a time long since past. A simple question…that was all it took. He stared at Optimus for a long moment, not saying a word, not moving. Optimus watched him back, waiting to see what he would do next. Optimus hated fighting just as much as the next Autobot, but they were all in this war together, Autobots and Decepticons alike. It was a war that it seemed no one really knew what it was about anymore.

Starscream raised his launcher again, fully intending on firing again. Optimus sighed heavily and raised his cannon, listening to it hum loudly, ready to fire. But Optimus would not get the chance to react.

Starscream felt the energy levels in his systems suddenly begin plummeting, and he dropped his launcher, feeling it transform back into his normal hand. He fell to one knee, his right hand rising back up to his left shoulder, where his wing had been blown off. Sparks flew from the wound even more now as he fell. His own voice felt disembodied as he cried out, the pain from the wound being too much. He didn't think he was going to die this way, but he was at the mercy now of the Autobot leader, standing before him down the hall. He knew he was most likely going to end up in stasis soon, and there was no stopping it this time. He didn't even know if the stasis period would repair his wing. He doubted it, though. He took one last look at Optimus, not saying a word as he leaned forward, the energy levels falling way too fast for him to control. He had used up way too much energy in his fight with Optimus, and now he was having mixed feelings about it. He was glad he was able to take on Optimus, but he was angered because he was not able to finish the job. His vision began to pixelize as he slowly began to lose consciousness, static lines running through his vision more and more. He fell forward, hitting the ground with a loud, resonating crash of metal against concrete and didn't move, his arm pinned under him from holding his shoulder. His optics dimmed down to almost nothing, indicating his body was entering the regeneration stasis period. Optimus lowered his cannon, which after a second, shifted back into components around his arm. He let out a rush of air, relieved that it was over. He opened up a comm link to Ratchet and the others, slowly walking up to Starscream.

"Ratchet…I need you to head back to the base. I need your assistance."

End Chapter 8

Okay, don't hate me if I didn't follow everything to a T. Remember, I haven't seen much of the old shows, and I am just now starting to catch up. I hope you all liked it!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Indifferent Differences 

"You have GOT to be kidding me."

Ratchet had returned to the base just a few minutes before, Ironhide and Bumblebee tagging along. Sam, Mikaela and Simmons were there, too. Everyone stood around the fallen Decepticon, wondering what had happened. Ironhide took one look and then went to the wall of the hallway and leaned against it, crossing his arms. What Optimus was asking was WAY the hell out of left field. Ratchet looked up at Optimus incredulously. Optimus shook his head.

"No, I am not, Ratchet. He needs help. You are the best equipped for it," he said, kneeling down and inspecting the damage that Ironhide had inflicted. Ratchet stared down at the unmoving figure, noting how his optics were still operating, but dimmed significantly. He was in stasis now, and would not know anything that was going on. He shifted his weight uncomfortably, not liking the idea of helping a Decepticon.

"But Optimus, he's a-"

"Decepticon?" Optimus interrupted, looking up at his medical officer, a slight hint of annoyance veiled in his voice. "It shouldn't make a difference, Ratchet." He said pointedly. Ratchet stared at Optimus. Something had changed.

"Optimus,what happened?" He asked quietly, hearing the others behind him settling in; they were going to be there for a while. He watched as Optimus stared at Starscream, his internal processors whirring quietly, indicating he was thinking.

"Starscream...he was once an aspiring scientist on our planet long ago. Do you remember the times when anyone on Cybertron could bring ideas to the Leaders?" the Autobot leader asked of Ratchet. Ratchet nodded simply, listening to Prime. "Well, he was one of those who brought forth an idea. Young, ambitious... his idea had been turned down. But today, I managed to get through to him. He remembered something..."

Ratchet stared at Optimus in shock. Never had he seen his leader have this much compassion for a Decepticon. He shook his head, still confused as to why Starscream bothered Optimus so much.

"But, why does..." Ratchet started, but he was cut off.

"Because I was the one who turned his idea down." Optimus said simply, a hint of sadness clouding his deep voice. Ratchet blinked, shocked.

"You feel bad, like you forced him to join the Decepticon side", he said sofly, amazed. Optimus didn't say a word. Ratchet stared at his leader for a moment longer, then kneeled down beside him, flicking on the lights on his chest to better inspect the damage. If Optimus had good reason for helping a Decepticon, then by all means, he had just as good a reason to follow it. He finally understood why Starscream seemed to mean a lot to Optimus now. It had been several thousands of years since that had happened, and Optimus had long since forgotten that time. He knew the war now, and that knowledge always seemed to sadden him just a bit. Ratchet knew where Optimus was coming from. He missed the old peaceful times as well. But this was here, now. And he was here in front of a Decepticon, faced with attempting to repair him. He scanned over the badly damaged Decepticon, noting the damage. He let out a low whistle.

"Who did this again?" He asked, turning around and looking at Ironhide, raising a thick metal brow. Ironhide saw his look and shifted nervously, suddenly in a light he didn't want to be in this time.

"...I did."

Ratchet's eyebrow seemed to go higher as he stared at him.

"You damn near killed him, Ironhide. There's a lot of damage here," he said, turning back around to Starscream. Mikaela watched with interest, thinking. She glanced at Sam, who was watching with wonderment. They were this close to Starscream and they weren't in danger. Ironhide made a sound that sounded remotely like an engine revving, but deeper and more gutteral.

"Well, he's a Decepticon," he said defensively. "How was I supposed to know that Optimus wanted to SAVE him??" he asked, uncrossing his arms and standing away from the wall. Optimus held his hand up.

"Ironhide. Stop. My reasoning is this: The Decepticons may not be on our side, but they are Cybertronian, just like us. Today was a breakthrough in my eyes, Ironhide. Think about it. We may yet have the chance to start repairing the rift that formed so long ago by this simple act of helping someone on the opposite side. Do you want to fight in this war the rest of your life? If we have the chance to start the repairing process, then we should take that chance, no matter how small it is," he said, his words once again sinking into everyone and making perfect sense. Ironhide stared at him, then growled and walked a few feet away. He wasn't happy, but he knew Optimus was right. NONE of them wanted to continue fighting in this war for longer than they had to, and this was the perfect chance. Starscream, though not liked by much of the Decepticon faction, would be considered a leader by some. Once found out that the Autobots had helped him, it would create a ripple effect, though small, assuredly. Optimus turned back to Ratchet.

"Can you help him, Ratchet?" He asked, looking down at the damage, recording all of the areas that were burnt and in some cases, still sparking here and there. But that had decreased significantly since he went into stasis. Ratchet took another moment to inspect, finally nodding.

"Yes, but I may need some help. There are some repairs here that are very delicate and may need some assistance from someone here," he said, pointing at the area where the blast had affected Starscream the most. It was charred and some of the wires and inner workings were fried and even melted together. "But I don't know if I can give his wing back. It looks as if Ironhide's weapons disintegrated it. His regenerating systems should do most of that, but I need to get this damage repaired first in order for them to work. Once done, his stasis period will be shortened considerably. He will, however, need a recharge of energy. Due to my scans, I am seeing that he has lost energy due to another injury unrelated to this one." He looked back up at Optimus. "I will need time." He said matter-of-factly. Optimus nodded.

"We shall stay here tonight. Sam, Mikaela, if you need a ride back to your homes then I am sure Bumblebee or Ironhide would be willing to give you a ride." he spoke, looking at the two. Sam shook his head.

"No, I want to stay here," he said, stepping a step closer to Bee. He wasn't about to leave his best friend behind again. Optimus nodded, understanding. He looked at Mikaela, who also shook her head.

"I'll stay...maybe I can help somehow...?" She partly asked, partly stated. Ratchet turned to her.

"Mikaela, our systems and your earth vehicles are completely different," He stated, looking at her, watching as her look turned to slight disappointment. He thought about it for a moment. He could at least direct her as to what to do. He looked at Starscream's injury again, then turned back to her. "However, you may be able to do some of the repair work that I cannot. You can help me, and I will help you to do so." He nodded at her, raising a large metal hand and waving her over.  
Mikaela smiled, happy to be of help. She glanced at Simmons, who, dispite his earlier attitued, seemed interested in what was going on. He took a step closer, trying to watch, but not wanting to get too close. He had already done enough damage and he knew it. One wrong move would have one of them training their guns on him, and he glanced at Ironhide, betting it would be him. So he just stood back, watching.

Mikaela stepped up next to Ratchet, and he picked her up gently, his large metal fingers curling around her waist. He moved her over to where the damage was and set her down on Starscream's back, uncurling his fingers. She started to lose her balance as she stepped wrong, and Ratchet kept his hand there, watching as she grabbed his finger for support. Once her balance was gained back, she nodded at Ratchet.

"Thanks, Ratchet." She said, looking up at him and smiling. Then she looked down, staring in wonderment. Never had she been this close to Starscream, much less had she ever touched him. It was unnerving at best. She shook her head and took a couple steps forward, kneeling down and looking at the damage. Ratchet pointed at a group of wires and metal that had been meshed together.

"I need to get those wires free. Do you think you can do it?" He asked, hoping she would be able to help. Granted, he COULD do it, but it would take more time and tools that he didn't have. Mikaela looked over it, and then looked at Sam.

"Sam, you got a knife on you?" She asked, needing something small and sharp to help. Sam, looked down, rummaging through his pockets, coming up with nothing. He looked up, shaking his head.

"Nope. Left it at home. Sorry..." He said, giving a sad sort of half smile. Mikaela sighed softly, looking down. She could try with her nails, but...

"Here."

Everyone turned to the voice, surprised to see Simmons holding out a switchblade knife. Optimus raised an eyebrow and Ironhide snorted. Ratchet nodded and Mikaela smiled at him.

"Thank you, Simmons. Ratchet? Could you get that for me?" She asked, noting the fact that she would have to climb down to get it. Ratchet nodded and held his hand out to Simmons, who leaned forward and gingerly placed it on Ratchet's finger. Bumblebee made a wierd noise that sounded vaguely like someone trying not to laugh and Sam looked up at him, grinning. He found this situation funny as well. Simmons was, in effect, helping Starscream.

Ratchet gave the knife to Mikaela, and she flipped it open, setting to work, carefully working the wires and metal apart. Ratchet too, set to work, and thus began a night of tedious repairs and work. Over the night, everyone except Ratchet and Mikaela had retreated to the base's mess hall, where Sam and Simmons found something to eat. Sam made a couple of sandwiches and grabbed some water bottles and took them out to Mikaela.

Mikaela was so engrossed in her work that she didn't see Sam at all until she reached up to wipe the sweat from her brow.  
She saw him out of the corner of her eye and turned to him, smiling down at him.

"Sam, what are you doing here? I thought you were with the others." She asked, wiping her hands on her pants. They were covered in lubricants and oils, along with black char from the injury. Her face and shirt were equally streaked with the same black char and lubricants, showing that she had really gotten into her work. Her hair was tousled, messy looking now, stray strands and flyaways sticking to the side of her face and forehead by the sweat. Ratchet looked up from his work. They had made some serious progress, and the injury was cleaned up quite a bit and the repairs were coming along nicely. He held a hand out to Mikaela.

"If you want to rest for a bit, you may. You are overworking yourself." He said, noting her level of fatigue. She smiled at him and nodded.

"I am not taking a nap, but I will take a short break." She said climbing into his hand. Ratchet lowered her to Sam and she stepped off, looking at Sam, who held out the sandwiches and water.

"Thought you could use something to drink and eat," he said as she took the food from him. She sat down on the floor, leaning against Starscream's shoulder for support. Sam joined her. "Ratchet's right, you look exausted. You should get a nap or something." He said, looking worriedly at her. She bit into one of the sandwiches, noting the turkey, tomato, cheese, mayo and mustard. It was good. She looked at Sam, shaking her head, swallowing her bite.

"No. I am not tired, for one, and two, the way Optimus is reacting to this whole situation...it is rather motivating. Ratchet has been rather helpful in directing me on what to do, and when I get into working on something, I usually don't like stopping until it is finished or I get tired enough I try to sleep with the grease,"she said, grinning. Sam laughed at her, watching her take another bite.

"Fine then, have your fun. Just be careful. Don't hurt yourself," he said to her as he stood up. "I'm going to go let Optimus know what is going on. He will be happy to know that the repairs are coming progressing."

"Oh, so you're playing reconissance for Optimus now, huh?" she said, giggling at him. He laughed.

"Sure." He nodded at her and left her with a smile as he turned around and walked back down the hallway. She finished her sandwich, saving the other for later. She set it on a large boulder that had been shaken down by the earlier blasts, placing a napkin under it. She grabbed her water bottle and walked towards Ratchet, who stopped his work long enough to help her back up.

"Mikaela, thank you for your help. Without you, I would not be done until a about two days from now." He said, placing her back on Starscream's back. She knelt down and pulled out Simmon's knife again, setting to work again. Her water bottle rested next to her against her leg.

"Hey, it's not a problem, Ratchet. I don't mind helping." She said, smiling at him and giving him a nod before turning back to her work. It wasn't long before she was completely engrossed in her repairs, listening to Ratchet as he told her what to do.

The morning sun had risen several hours ago. Everyone had either fallen asleep or went into a recharge state in the mess hall, save for two. Mikaela and Ratchet were still hard at work, the repairs nearly complete. Mikaela raised a hand at last, wiping sweat from her eyes with the back of her wrist. Her hands were covered in grease, lubricants and char. Her part of the work had been finished. She had long since gotten the wires free, and she had managed to repair several other things as well. She sat back, looking at her work, feeling proud. Ratchet looked at her with a look of significant approval.

"Well done, Mikaela. You have done better than I thought." He said, obviously impressed. He had been watching over her most of the night, helping her to find what goes where, and she did everything to the best of her ability. She looked up at him,  
a grin on her face.

"Thanks, Ratchet." She looked down at Starscream. One of the things she had ended up repairing, which was the most tedious,  
was his Spark casing. That was the injury that had been aquired a while back, during the big battle at Mission City. She had been able to get to it because of her size. If Ratchet had tried, he would have had to turn Starscream over to get to it. But she was nimble and small enough to fit in to get to it, working slowly, every couple of minutes describing something and asking Ratchet what to do. Together they got most of Starscream's systems to a point where, when he was brought out of stasis, they would be operating efficently. "How much longer do you think?" She asked, a part of her anxious to see him back online to see if she had done it. Ratchet looked thoughtful.

"If all goes well, we may be able to bring him back online in a few moments. The repairs you did to his Spark casing have helped tremendously. His energy levels have been slowly rising again." He said, standing back for a moment and looking at Mikaela. "Would you please go and get Optimus? He will want to be here."

Mikaela nodded and ran out, her adrenaline pumping now through her veins. This was sooner that she had thought they would him back. His wing was irrepairable, but his regenerating systems would fix that. Ratchet stood there as Mikaela ran out,  
staring at Starscream. Part of him wondered if anything they were doing would make a difference. He hoped so. He leaned forward again, tinkering with the last repairs that was needed. He ran an analysis on Starscream as he worked, noting that Mikaela's repairs to his Spark casing were doing much more than he had anticipated. His systems were mostly online, but were still registering as being in stasis. He would have to fix that here in a moment. He repaired a couple more wires and closed a panel, standing back. He ran another analysis, tracing energy signatures. They were rising steadily, a good sign. The energy from his Spark was growing again, indicating he would be coming out of stasis soon.

Loud, rumbling steps shook Ratchet out of his thoughts and he turned towards the noise in time to see Optimus rounding the corner, Mikaela sitting on his shoulder. He stopped next to Ratchet and helped Mikaela down.

"Status report?"

"He's stabilized. His wing will be repaired itself, due to his internal regenerating systems. His energy levels are rising and he will be online shortly," Ratchet responded. "If all-"

Ratchet was interrupted by a loud whining noise as Starscream's systems came back online fully, his optics growing brighter.  
A loud groan escaped him as he tried to move slowly, not fully aware of his surroundings. All he remembered was trying to fight Optimus, and then his vision pixelating. He vaguely remembered thinking that he didn't want to go into stasis, not yet. He slowly lifted his head, his hands moving to his side as he tried to push himself up. Ratchet, on instinct, moved to help him up, being very cautious. Starscream finally stood, shaking his head. He looked around, finally registering where he was at. His eyes met with Optimus Prime, and he just stared, a dark look on his face.

"Optimus..."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: One Small Step 

Decepticon and Autobot stared at each other for a long moment, neither moving. Mikaela briefly wondered if either of them would suddenly fire. Nothing happened. Ratchet watched, frozen, ready to act if anything happened.

Starscream stared at Optimus Prime coldly, his missile launchers raised, meanwhile running internal scans. As his scans progressed, he became more and more shocked to find that most of his systems were now operating at right about 90 percent efficiency. He ran another internal diagnostic of his Spark casing, even more shocked to find that the casing had also been repaired and was now stabilized. He took a step back, his optics darting between Ratchet and Mikaela, then Optimus. He followed his looks with his weapons, ready to fire at a moment's notice. The air was thick with tension as he backed away slowly a few steps. He was completely confused as to why his enemy would help him. When no one made a threatening move toward him, he slowly lowered his launchers a few inches, looking directly at Optimus after a moment.

"Why?" Was all he had to ask, knowing that Optimus would pick up on everything that he was saying with that one word. Optimus stood still, his face guard still down, his face revealing many emotions at once.

"Because all beings deserve a chance to live, Starscream, no matter what," Optimus said calmly. "You may be a Decepticon, but that shouldn't matter right now. Your life was in danger and we decided to help you."

Starscream was still confused. This made no sense to him. Had positions been reversed, he would have left, no thought about it. He would have left them for dead. But now...what they did was forcing small tendrils of doubt through him, and he didn't like it.

"So, you saved my life...but what is your purpose behind it, Autobot?" he asked, taking another step back. His eyes flickered, distrust building up and constantly being contradicted by the Autobot's act.

"Repayment,"Optimus said slowly, watching Starscream. Starscream eyed him with equal regard.

"For what?"

"For long ago. You remember when you brought your own idea before the Leaders, do you not?" Optimus asked, trying to get him to open up a bit more. He was glad that they could be in this proximity with each other and not have fighting. Starscream nodded slowly, never taking his eyes off of the Autobot leader. He remembered, alright.

"Yes...and YOU turned it down," he said bitterly. Optimus watched him, calculating his expressions. They stared at each other for a second. Optimus was about to say something when Ironhide rounded the corner, followed by Bumblebee, who ducked back behind the wall when he saw Starscream. He was still injured, and fighting was not the best idea for him at the moment. Ironhide's entrance startled Starscream, and he raised his weapons, preparing to fire. Ironhide reacted with equal quickness,  
his cannons already out before Optimus could really move. But Prime got in the way regardless, blocking both of them from firing at each other. He raised his hands out, metal gleaming in the dull light of the tunnel's lights. He was facing Ironhide, not realizing that he had just turned his back to the worst possible person. But he was the only one to not realize it. Ratchet raised a hand, intending to warn Optimus, but was stopped by a small hand on his foot. He looked down, seeing Mikaela shaking her head slowly. He looked back up, seeing that Starscream had not taken the shot. He raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the scene. This was very much NOT like the Starscream they all knew. What was going on?

"STOP! BOTH OF YOU!" Optimus yelled at both Ironhide and Starscream, his deep voice thundering down the hallway. Ironhide stopped and stared, then lowered his cannons. Starscream, though startled, took another step back. He kept his weapons still aimed at Ironhide, but refrained from firing at him, though. He still didn't trust any of them.

"Don't fire, Ironhide," Optimus warned, his optics glancing from Ironhide to Bumblebee, who was peeking out from behind the wall, curious as to what was going on. Optimus, after watching Ironhide for another moment, turned back around to Starscream,  
suddenly fully aware of the danger he had put himself in. He smiled inwardly, knowing that they were making progress, though small right now. But it was still progress.

"You can lower your weapons, Starscream. We won't fire on you." He said, speaking confidently. Starscream, however, took another step back, his weapons still at the ready.

"I don't trust you, Autobot." He stated, his voice laced with distrust. Optimus nodded, understanding this.

"I understand that, Starscream. But look to your left. Do you see those two?" He asked, indicating Ratchet and Mikaela. Starscream looked over at them hesitantly, noting both the medical officer and the small human, and then began to wonder why the human was covered in lubricants and black stuff. He looked back at Optimus, waiting for his explanation. "They worked all night to repair you."

Starscream took a second look at the two, stunned. He looked down at the human female, who definitely looked as if she had taken a bath in oils and lubricants. Her hair was messy, sticking to the sides of her face and stray strands flying out every which way. He looked at Ratchet, whose hands looked equally dirty. But...why? This makes no sense...I am their enemy...why would they help? He ran another scan on himself, trying to find some proof of them using him for their own means. He found nothing. No tracers, no bombs, nothing. Just well-executed repairs. He retracted his launchers in stunned disbelief. This still made no sense to him. Ironhide eased up a bit, relaxing now that Starscream had removed his weapons. Starscream backed up a bit more, still confused.

"I don't get it...I am your enemy...yet you chose to save me. The human helped save me...Why not leave me for dead? Why not destroy me? Take out the threat?" He asked, his voice still bitter, almost as if he would have rather died than be saved. His confusion over the whole situation was angering him. Optimus took a step forward, raising his hands to show that he was not armed.

"Starscream. We cannot change the past, but we can make efforts to change the future. This war has lasted long enough. There is very few of us left. War has driven us from our home planet. When do we start making the repairs to damage done over a millennia ago?" Optimus asked quietly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. Starscream stood quietly for a moment, briefly feeling the urge to transform and get out of there, but that idea was blown out of the water as he remembered that his left wing had been ripped off by Ironhide. He could already feel his regenerating systems working on repairing it. It would take several days for it to be complete. He looked over at Ratchet and Mikaela, his processors whirring slightly. He really didn't have much of a choice but to stay, at least until his wing was regenerated. He growled slightly, giving in.

"I can't leave until my wing is regenerated. I will stay here until then," he said slowly, thinking on the best way to keep them all away from him. "But do NOT cross me. I will not hesitate to fire at any of you." He finished, warning all of them. Optimus nodded.

"Agreed." He looked at Ratchet and Mikaela. "Ratchet, please get Mikaela to a resting area. She looks about ready for her recharging period. You may recharge after that, as well."

Ratchet looked down at Mikaela, who indeed looked very tired. He held a hand down to her and she crawled into his hand, leaning back against it, relaxing. Ratchet walked past Optimus and down the hall, taking Mikaela to the mess hall. Optimus regarded Starscream for a moment, who was looking away from everyone else at the moment. He turned to walk out, then stopped and turned back.

"Starscream, if you need anything, just let us know." Optimus said, trying very hard to show at least the beginnings of friendship. He knew that if there was ever going to be some sort of breakthrough with this war, this would have to be it. He looked at Starscream for a moment, watching as emotions flickered across the Decepticon's face, then turned and walked out, leaving Starscream to himself.

In the mess hall, Ironhide paced nervously around the room. He was not happy in the least with a Decepticon in their midst.  
He started messing with his cannons again, forming them and tinkering with them, then retracting them...then reforming them again, tinkering, retracting, all the while pacing. Ratchet watched him out of the corner of his eyes for a few moments. Bee watched him, blatantly following him with his gaze. Optimus let him pace for a bit, but it was starting to get on everyone's nerves. After about twenty minutes of pacing, someone spoke up.

"Ironhide, please...you are making everyone here nervous. Relax."

It was Mikaela, she had returned from taking a nice hot shower. She was still exausted and was ready for bed, but she refused to go to bed without a shower. Now she looked so much better. Sam turned to her and grinned. He swore she looked more beautiful every time he saw her. Ironhide glared down at her.

"You don't understand the situation we are in, do you?" he said, retracting his cannons again. Mikaela stared at him and just blinked.

"You think I just spent all night with no sleep working to fix him to NOT understand the situation? Prime made a decision, and I think it is a damned good one. Why continue with the war? What the hell has fighting ever accomplished aside from the PAIN of losing someone close to you??" She looked pointedly at him, knowing her words would bring back the memory of Jazz to everyone, but she needed to say it. Everyone shifted uncomfortably at her words, Ironhide looking away. "Do you think Jazz would want you all to keep fighting like this when you have such a perfect opportunity to start repairing old hurt feelings"  
She asked, staring at him. Ironhide didn't look back at her. He hated being wrong. And this time, it was a small human who was making perfect sense. Mikaela knew the situation alright, and she was tired of seeing her friends get hurt everytime a Decepticon entered their sensor range. She helped fix Starscream for the same reason that Optimus wanted her and Ratchet to fix him. For a possible step in at peace. No one spoke at her words, but Optimus was rather impressed by her words. Mikaela waited a few more seconds before continuing.

"No, I didn't think so. Jazz would want the same thing Prime does. Peace, after...how many thousands of years?? He was fighting for the same thing you ALL are. Your right to exist in this universe. The Decepticons also fight for that, for their rightful place, do they not? I don't think Jazz got ripped in half just for you to ignore this chance." she said,  
stepping on dangerous ground. But no one got a chance to respond to her as she walked off, mad at Ironhide. Optimus stared after her, shocked at the amount of feeling behind her words. She truely understood what they were going through. Everyone was watching Ironhide by sideglances, wondering how he would react. Ironhide clenched his fist, growling. He didn't want to remember his friend getting ripped in half, but here was Mikaela, having ripped open that wound again. He looked down and away, closing his bright teal eyes, then walked off. Ratchet started to go after him, but Optimus held out a hand. Ratchet glanced at him, watching Optimus shake his head. He relaxed, heeding Prime's silent 'leave him be'. Everyone relaxed a bit more, but the wound had been opened in all of them from Mikaela's words. It made all the more reason to try at this, this chance for a possible peace.

Outside the messhall, Starscream stood and listened to the conversation. He was still trying to figure out why they had saved him from going into stasis for a very long time, in effect saving his life. Who knew what would have happened if the Earth's military forces found him and kept him. He probably never would have recovered because the liquid nitrogen they used to keep them in cryostasis would have slowed his systems down to almost nothing. He listened intently as Mikaela reprimanded Ironhide, realizing that they WERE in fact fighting for the same thing. He stared at the ground, remembering the time that he had brought his idea to the Leaders, and remembering how hurt he was when his first idea was rejected. He had felt angry,  
like no one cared about his ideas. But he also realized how young he was back then. Right now, he would be considered, in human terms, about 25-ish. Back then, maybe about 16. He remembered how he joined the Decepticons, and how they all wanted to fight for their right to be heard. Now, it had morphed into wanting to control the universe...but that was under Megatron's ideals. Most of the Decepticons still just wanted to be heard. Megatron just took it to extremes.

Starscream's thoughts were interuppted by a small squeak down by his feet. He looked down, seeing Mikaela backing away a few feet. He had startled her by standing right out side the doors. He glared down at her, throwing up his defenses and looking menacing. But after a moment Mikaela stopped backing away and stared at him. He looked back at her, wondering why she wasn't running from him. He ended up raising an eyebrow.

"What?"

Mikaela just grinned at him with a knowing look.

"What??" Starscream asked again, starting to get annoyed.

Mikaela grinned more for a second, then spoke.

"There's more to you than you show, Starscream. Underneath that hard metal and asshole attitude, there's more. More than you would EVER let anyone see. And I am not talking about your systems, either." She tilted her head slightly, just looking at him. Starscream stared at her, opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. how in Cybertron could she see that much? he wondered. Mikaela seemed to understand what he was going to say.

"I have a knack for it...for being able to tell what people are thinking. Granted, you aren't human, but I know you have feelings. Otherwise you wouldn't be standing outside this door listening to us with a strange look on your face," she said, grinning. Starscream was stunned, but it made sense. He turned to walk away, not wanting to talk to anyone, but something stopped him. He stood there for a second, staring at the hallway in front of him, his back towards Mikaela.

"Why did you do it? Repair me?" He asked, wanting to know the human's version of Prime's story. Behind him, Mikaela shrugged.

"I wanted to." Was her only answer as she grinned at his back, then walked past him down the hall. She didn't look back, but she could tell what his expression was.

She wanted to? He thought, staring at her as she walked past. This world was more strange than he thought. He took a couple steps and caught up with her, looking down at her. He felt strange, being so close to the enemy and not taking action.

"What do you mean you wanted to? There is no reason to stay and repair your enemy." He said matter-of-factly. Mikaela looked up at him, watching as he took steps to stay next to her. She mentally giggled at this. Here was Starscream, one of the most feared Decepticons, and he was following her and asking her questions. She never thought she would see the day.  
She grinned.

"If you feel that way, why are you walking with me?" Her grin told more than she let on, and her words stopped him in his tracks. He processed her comment for a second, then took another step to keep up with her.

"I can't go anywhere else right now until my wing is repaired, you know that, human." He said defensively, looking straight ahead. Mikaela giggled at him and he looked down at her.

"What's so funny, human?" He asked, annoyance creeping into his metallic voice. Mikaela shook her head, her still-wet hair bouncing around a bit.

"You. You are a complete oxy-moron."

Starscream stared at her, unfamiliar with the term.

"A what?"

"Oxy-moron. It means putting two opposites in the same thing...kinda like military intelligence. The joke is that the military is NOT by ANY means intelligent. You, you talk about not wanting to stay with the enemy, and that your ONLY reason for staying is your wing. But yet, you walk here beside me, asking me questions when, if you really wanted to be alone, you would not be here right now." She said, stopping and looking up at him. Starscream stopped and stared down at her.  
He was surprised at her. He didn't even know why the hell he was walking with her. But he wanted to know her reasons for repairing him, and all she would tell him is that she wanted to. He made a small noise that sounded like a huff and turned back towards the hall again, walking again. Mikaela started walking with him again.

"YOu said you wanted to repair me," he said after a moment of akward silence. "So Optimus Prime didn't order you to do so?"

Mikaela shook her head.

"Nope. He asked Ratchet if he could fix you, but Ratchet said that he would eventually need help. I offered to help, and together Ratchet and I repaired you. You know, your Spark casing was definately fun to fix." She said, remembering her need to constantly ask Ratchet how to fix the casing. Starscream stopped and stared at her yet again. This human never ceased to amaze him.

"You...YOU repaired my Spark casing...??" He asked, completely stunned. Mikaela stopped also and looked up at him.

"Yeah. I had never seen anything so complex...I had to keep asking Ratchet for help."she replied, a smile covering her face.  
She had completely enjoyed working on him, her mind absorbing everything that she came across. She had learned more about their race in one night than the military ever hoped to learn in 50 years. Human and Decepticon looked at each other for a moment, Starscream instinctively raising his hand to his chestplate, becoming ever -grateful- to the little fleshling. He shocked himself with this thought and lowered his hand and looked ahead again, taking another step and falling into a slow stride, Mikaela trailing him as she headed to her room that Simmons had given her.

"T...Thanks..." Was all the big Decepticon was able to offer. Mikaela grinned, feeling as if she had broken through to him.

"No problem." She responded with a smile, and headed off down a small turnoff in the hallway towards the rooms.

Starscream went out to the base doors, examining the damage that had been left there by the battle yesterday. He sat down,  
staring out at the vast desert, Mikaela's words and the Autobot's actions towards him wieghing heavily on his mind...

End Chapter 10

Okay, I know, I am making him seem like a big softy. I blame the voices in my head telling me how to write this story.  
I hope you all like it, though. There is definately more to come!!!


	11. Chapter 11

Now, of course, I have been choosing different songs to help me write out these chapters. This one happens to be "Breakaway" By Kelly Clarkston and "Not Quite Paradise" by Bliss from the Titan AE soundtrackl. Several others in previous chapters have been "Stand My Ground" and "Forsaken" by Within Temptations, "My Sacrifice" by Creed, "What I've Done" by Linkin Park, and "Who I Am" and "Before it's too Late" by Goo Goo Dolls.

Chapter 11: Breaking away and Altering Course

The next few days were tense, but each day everyone lightened up bit by bit. Starscream had been seen only occasionally by the Autobots, each time his wing showed remarkable improvement. At one point Ratchet even asked to run a scan on it to make sure that everything was in order. Starscream reluctantly agreed, standing quietly as Ratchet hovered over his back. It took quite a bit for him to not back away and pull out his launchers. He was still rather distrusting of the Autobots, but he surprised himself by realizing that the feeling of distrust was slowly fading. Not one Autobot had made a move against him, even though he knew Ironhide was NOT thrilled with him being there.

Starscream often found himself in the company of Mikaela. For some reason, he found her the most tolerable, though she was human. They would end up talking about random things, Mikaela often uncovering something here and there about his past. She was the only one he seemed to ever want to talk to. Sam had noticed, and while it bothered him, he understood that if anyone had a chance to break through to him, it was her.

Optimus found them two days after Starscream's initial repairs outside, a good distance away from the main entrance. Starscream was sitting against the building with Mikaela on his shoulder, inspecting his wing. Optimus watched in silence, amazed at the sight before him, catching their conversation. Never in his life did he think he would ever see Starscream be tamed by a mere human. Will wonders never cease?

"Your wing is doing well, Star," Mikaela said, running her hands along the new metal of his half-repaired wing, inspecting it. She had started using the nickname Star in a joke the previous day, and she had since been using it. Starscream didn't seem to mind. "It looks like another couple of days and it will be fully repaired." She poked and prodded gently, completely fascinated by the Decepticon's regenerating systems. Starscream turned his head and looked at her, his red optics widening slightly as they focused on her.

"That's good. You don't know how annoying it is to be grounded all the time. I don't understand how your race can stand it." He said, watching her inspect his wing. Her hands tickled his still-sensitive wing, and a shiver ran down his body. Mikaela stopped suddenly, alarmed.

"I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?" She asked worriedly. She felt a rush of relief when he started laughing. She grinned. That was the first time that she had heard him laugh, and not the dark, evil laugh.

"No, you didn't. Just tickled." He was amused by her, with her being worried about him. Deeper down, he was truly amazed at this human. Why would a human worry for him? Mikaela relaxed and sat down on his shoulder, drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her arms around them. She looked down as she hit her arm wrong, surprised at her self for forgetting that she still had a cut on her arm. Ratchet had managed to help repair it, healing it. He had learned a bit about working with the human body, but not enough to do anything major. He mainly cauterized the wound to stop the bleeding and wrapped it up. She shook her head slightly, laughing at herself mentally. It had stopped hurting a long time ago, and she just had a simple bandage around it now. She looked up and stared straight out at the desert, quiet for a moment. Starscream also stared out at the desert, lost in his own thoughts. After a bit of time, Mikaela's voice broke through his thoughts.

"What is it like, flying?" She asked, still staring out to the desert. Starscream looked at her, her question coming from way out of left field. He looked at her for a moment, thinking, and then turning back out to stare at the desert. He debated an answer for a bit.

"Flying…it's pure freedom. It takes away…" he paused for a moment, realizing he was talking about the thing he enjoyed most to a human. "It takes away the anger…It's calming to me, feeling the rush of the air against my wings…" If he could have blushed, he would have. _Oh, what the hell?_ he thought to himself. This wasn't like him at all. Mikaela, however, found it interesting.

"Really?" she asked, looking at him for a moment, watching him, and then staring at the desert again, her eyes focusing on a large rock in the distance. "I would love the chance to fly one day…" she said quietly. "Consider yourself lucky, Star. Not many have the ability to soar through the skies under their own power." She said, still staring at the rock. Starscream took a sideways scan at her, raising an eyebrow. He thought for a moment.

"I do consider myself lucky…more than I thought, as well…" He said cryptically. Mikaela glanced at him, wondering what he meant. She shrugged it off, figuring he meant finally having found a friend to talk to at the moment. She sighed softly and stared at the rock again. Several minutes passed by before either of them spoke again.

"Star?"

Starscream turned his head and looked calmly at her.

"Yes?"

"Optimus and the others….they…they're tired of the war…what about you? Aren't you tired of it? Tired of… seeing your friends hurt…or even dying?" She turned and looked at him, pulling her knees up against her chest more. She stared right into the center of his optics, or rather at this point, one of his optics. Starscream stared at her for a long moment, then looked away. Truth was, yes, he was. He didn't want to admit it, though. But then again, what was the harm? He had already destroyed the asshole image of himself in front of all the Autobots, especially this one small human. Over the years and years of fighting, he had pulled over himself an image of the asshole, traitor and coward. He pushed aside any thoughts of his friends, knowing that they would be gone one day. He had watched many of his friends become hurt, malfunction or go offline for good. Everyone grew to know him as a deceiving little traitor, constantly defying Megatron. But it was how he survived all this time. He picked and chose his fights, unless Megatron ordered him into battle. But when he began to see his friends falling to not only the Autobots but to Megatron himself, that was when he really began defying Megatron, and trying to take him out. While he DID see himself as a better leader, he lacked the strength to carry out a lot of his plans to take out Megatron. He was far too powerful, anyway. Every time he had the nerve to fire on Megatron, he was always beat down by the Decepticon leader. Starscream would often retreat after that, thus earning the name of coward. But he was far more than a coward. Run today, live to fight tomorrow. Maybe that made him a coward, maybe not. After a few moments of thinking to himself, he spoke finally.

"…I am…" he responded to her question quietly. He didn't look at her, though. He was revealing WAY too much of himself, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to not answer her. Mikaela looked at him, somewhat surprised. Judging by the fact that he didn't look at her as he answered, he must not have liked his own answer. She reached down next to her, placing a hand on his shoulderplate. His head moved a bit in response to her touch, but he didn't fully look at her. She could tell he had a lot to think about, but she threw one more thing at him.

"Then why not join us? Why not try to end this war? Gather those who would rather not fight anymore…try and start a truce?" She spoke, her voice sounding hopeful. Starscream finally turned and looked at her.

"Do you realize how few Decepticons would be so accepting of your idea?" he asked Mikaela, realizing with a start that he was actually not all that opposed to the idea. Mikaela looked back at him with a small smile.

"Star, it only takes one drop of water to make the whole lake ripple." She replied, smiling softly. Starscream looked at her, processing the saying and deciphering it. It took him a moment to understand what she meant and he nodded slowly.

"The drop of water…you mean to be me, correct?" He asked, making sure he understood her saying correctly. She nodded at him.

"And the lake…the rest of the Decepticon force…" he said, half thinking out loud. Mikaela grinned and patted his shoulderplate, nodding encouragement.

"You got it, Star. Think about it. Peace really isn't all that bad, you know." She said, wrapping her arms around her knees again and staring out at the desert. Starscream looked at her a moment, then turned his gaze back out to the desert as well. Neither of them spoke after that for a long time.

Optimus was sitting against a wall in the mess hall of the base, watching Ratchet work on Bumblebee. He was attempting to work on his vocal processors, having already finished repairing the damage that had been caused earlier. Bee squealed at one point, jerking away from Ratchet, who had obviously caused him some pain. Sam was pacing back and forth, watching, worried for his friend.

"Well, if you wouldn't move, I wouldn't hurt you!" Ratchet yelled, annoyed at the little yellow Autobot. Bee made a sound like whining.

"No, don't whine at me. You want to speak properly? Quit moving! I am almost done."

Bumblebee stopped moving finally and Ratchet moved in again, using his laser to attempt to weld some of the more fine wires back together. He was amazed that Bee could even speak in this condition. It had been a long and tedious process, but slowly he had managed to get his voice working bit by bit.

Ironhide came thudding into the room, followed by Simmons. A mere coincidence, as he made a beeline for the kitchen. He had kept out of sight for most of the time, and Ironhide was certain he was up to something, but he couldn't prove it. Optimus looked up at his weapons specialist and nodded to him.

"Ironhide...come join me. I have something to speak with you about," he said, his voice quiet. Something was obviously on his mind, by the way his face portrayed several emotions. Ironhide obliged and walked over, sitting next to Optimus, metal grinding lightly against metal as he did so.

"What is it, Prime?" he asked, looking over at the Autobot leader. He worried a bit about the look on his face. Every time he had that look, it wasn't good news. Optimus paused for a moment, staring at the wall opposite them.

"It's Mikaela. She's managed to do something none of us could ever accomplish on our own." He said slowly, his voice serious. His comment earned a large metal eyebrow raised at him questioningly.

"What do you mean?" Ironhide asked, curious about what the little human could have done. Optimus let out a sigh, air rushing between metal, sounding like a blast of air through a corridor.

"I went outside today, just to get a feel for the atmosphere of this planet. It is so much cleaner and refreshing. But as I stepped outside, I heard Starscream's voice. When I looked over, I saw him...and her sitting farther down the wall of the building..." He paused, waiting to see Ironhide's reaction. And an interesting reaction was. He gave Optimus the wierdest look he had ever seen. Before Ironhide could respond, he continued.

"She was on his shoulder, examining his wing. Ironhide, he's grown attached to her. In all of my years online, I have NEVER seen anything like that. He has grown to trust her." He said, watching Ironhide carefully. The black Autobot took a glance at Sam, who was too busy staying by Bumblebee to notice what they were talking about. Ironhide looked back at Prime.

"You're joking." he said finally, not believing his audio receptors. Optimus shook his head gravely.

"No. And there's more."

Ironhide stared at Optimus, his eyebrow raised again, mouthing the word 'more???' at him. Optimus nodded again.

"Apparently she has been trying to talk to him about the war. I overheard their conversation...she asked him to join us. She is trying to help us stop the war."

Ironhide stared at Optimus with a rediculous look, and after a moment, started laughing.

"You are kidding me, right? Starscream? Why would-" Ironhide's words were muffled as Optimus brought a hand up and covered his mouth suddenly, the only way that Optimus could think of in such short notice to shut up his gunner before he did more damage. Ironhide glared at Optimus, then noticed something in his eyes. He followed Prime's gaze, finally seeing Starscream in the doorway. His eyes widened as he saw Mikaela sitting on his shoulder. Sam was next to see them, and he was horrified to see Mikaela on the Decepticon's shoulder.

"Mikaela! What are you doing?!" He yelled out, worried. His worry was met with her light laughter.

"Sam, I'm fine, really! It's okay!" She said, affirming the fact that she was fine. She grinned down at Sam, trying not to laugh as she looked to Ratchet and Bumblebee, who both had shocked reactions to their entrance as well. Ratchet was staring slack-jawed at them, more stunned that Starscream was allowing a _human_ on his shoulder more than he was at the sight of him in the doorway. Bee's expression was cute, as he was trying to peek around Ratchet's bulky figure to see what was going on. Optimus slowly took his hand away from Ironhide, hoping that he wouldn't say something stupid. Thankfully, the weapons specialist was way to stunned to even process saying anything.

Starscream stood there, looking around uncomfortably. He really wasn't sure why he was doing this, only that coming from Mikaela, the idea sounded better than going back into battle. He looked at Mikaela, who nodded and then turned to the rest of the group.

"Are we intruding?" She asked, waiting to hear their reactions. Optimus shook his head and held a hand out, welcoming them in.

"Not at all. Please, join us, Starscream." Optimus said, glad that Starscream was finally willing enough to join them in the mess hall. Starscream stepped in a few steps and turned to face the Autobots, about to say something that would change his life forever. Mikaela nudged him gently, encouraging him. Sam saw this and his jaw dropped. _She's...supporting him_...he was stunned. This large Decepticon, the biggest badass on the Decepticon side besides Megatron(that he knew of, anyway), was using Mikaela for support. Sam's face slowly turned from shock to a grin, finding this interesting. Starscream looked at Mikaela, slightly worried, but more nervous than anything. He ran another scan over himself, wondering what was causing him to do this. He really didn't feel like himself, and he felt as if he were walking through a haze at the moment, confused at his own actions. Maybe he was tired of everything, and wanted change. But for some reason, ever since finding out that a human and an Autobot had brought him out of stasis, his thoughts and ideas had changed. It had given him a new outlook on the war, and forced him to see the Autobots for who they really were; not the tyrants that Megatron had made them out to be, but in fact caring and compassionate, even towards their enemy. If the Decepticons could learn this, there could be so much change in the universe. Mikaela nodded again, trying to encourage him. Optimus and the others looked at each other, confused as to what was going on, not prepared for what was to be said next.

"...The others...they're coming. You...You need to prepare..."

The sound of metal clanging against the floor jarred everyone's senses out of the momentary stunned silence that had followed Starscream's words. Everyone looked over at Ratchet, who had dropped a tool that he had been using on Bee. Ratchet blinked and looked down, then bent down and picked it up. He straightened back up and waved it a bit.

"Um...Sorry...it slipped..." Ratchet said feebly, setting it down on a nearby table. Everyone turned back to Starscream, who looked even more uncomfortable. Mikaela patted his shoulderplate, knowing he was uncomfortable and nervous. He looked over at her, taking slight comfort in her confident look. Optimus was the first to speak.

"Others? Other Decepticons?" He asked, still shocked himself. He stood up slowly and took a step towards Starscream, who seemed to tense up a bit, but he didn't take any action. "Starscream. Does this mean you have decided to help us to stop this war?" He asked carefully, analyzing the Decepticon's facial expressions. Starscream looked away, opposite of Mikaela, staring at the wall near him.

"I am...tired of this war. I have fought long enough and nothing has come of it, besides more pain and anger to fuel a now pointless war." he said finally, chosing his words carefully. "I didn't come to this decision alone...I had help." He turned to Mikaela and watched her as she looked at everyone, judging their reactions. He turned back to Optimus, taking a deep breath and then slowly exhaling.

"I know none of you trust me, and you have that right. I don't even trust myself right now, so I do not blame you. But just know that I am warning you now. You have two days before they arrive." He said quietly, then turned and walked back out, Mikaela still on his shoulder. Optimus and the others stood there, watching him leave, then they all looked at each other, completely floored. Ironhide looked at Optimus.

"Did Starscream just...?" he asked, unable to finish the question from being in such a state of shock. Optimus nodded.

"Yes...he did."

End Chapter 11

Okay, blow it up if ya want! laughs I don't know what is going on in this head of mine...these chibi characters are telling me how to write this.

I hope you all like it! hits post and ducks


	12. Chapter 12

Edit: this chapter was known as "Facing the Past", but now it doesn't seem to fit...so I changed it.

First off, I want to thank everyone for sticking with this story through all of these chapters. It means a lot to me. Your reactions are far more than I had ever imagined that I would ever get from this…I am glad that you all are enjoying this. Thanks for the reviews and the encouragement! Also, hehe, being the newbie that I am to I just figured out how to do the separations...I also apologize for a few mispelled words, I don't have a spellchecker at the moment. I will fix it later at home. Now, without further ado, I present

Chapter 12: Changing the Future

There was hustle and bustle the next day and a half as everyone began preparing for the upcoming battle. Starscream remained out of the way mostly, though he did help out here and there. Oddly enough, he most often collaborated with Ironhide, who was slowly learning to trust the Decepticon. He helped Ironhide with weapons, explaining what would be the most effective against the rest of the Decepticons. Mikaela and Sam had been trying to help out as well, but lately there had been arguments that ended in Mikaela walking off, very pissed off. No one knew what their fights were about. Optimus had a feeling he knew, and somewhere in their arguments Starscream would most likely have been brought up. Optimus was right without even knowing it for sure. Sam was more worried than anything…worried that Starscream would hurt her or something…but more than that, there was something else there that bothered Sam, but he refused to say it. He doubted it, and he thought himself silly and stupid for even thinking it. There was no way in hell something like that could ever happen. But the thought was there, and no matter what he did, it bothered him. He could lock it away, but the next time he saw either of them, it reared it's ugly head and bit him in the ass. He hated himself for thinking that, because it was those thoughts that often started the fights. Mikaela was getting annoyed at him, and every time he said something about Starscream possibly betraying them or something to that effect, it infuriated her. Why it upset her that much she had no idea, but she didn't care. The last fight they had, she screamed at him.

"SAM! What is your damned problem with him?? He has no intentions of betraying us! Why don't you believe me on that??" She yelled, throwing a rag down onto a table where she had been working. Sam had been getting on her nerves lately. Sam stared at her in disbelief. Why was she so defensive?

"Mikaela, did you forget he is a DECEPTICON? I don't care how many times you say it, but there is always that chance! The more you hang around him, the more he will gain your trust, and then one day -BAM!- You are left for dead because he saw fit to betray you! Enemies work that way, Mikaela!" he yelled back, not caring that Optimus had just stepped in the room, looking for Ironhide. Mikaela stared at him in shock for a moment, her face slowly twisting to anger.

"Why don't you try talking to him for once, Sam. Maybe then you will understand." She said, glaring at him. "Or are you that damned jealous?" she asked, not realizing her mistake. Sam's mouth dropped open, and she turned and walked away, leaving him there to think about what she had said. She walked right past Optimus without saying a word and went straight down the hallway. Sam watched her go in stunned silence, then turned to Optimus, a confused and hurt look in his eyes.

"Optimus…what is going on with her?" He asked, completely helpless. Optimus looked back down the hallway, watching Mikaela from behind as she walked away. He saw her raise a hand to her face momentarily and then lower it again. He looked back at Sam.

"I don't know, Sam…" the Autobot leader said, equally at a loss. He sat down on the floor against the wall, watching as Sam walked up to him. Bumblebee and the others were outside training, honing their skills for the battle ahead. Sam and Mikaela had been working on a couple of missile launchers with the help of Simmons, who had gone on a break and would be back later. Sam leaned against Prime's leg, feeling the slightly warm metal against his back. He crossed his arms, obviously not liking the situation. Optimus looked down at his little human friend, worried for him. Sam's thoughts were turning to those he didn't even want to TRY to comprehend, and he shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Prime's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Perhaps you should try to talk to her. Find out what is going on. Find out why she has been so easily upset recently." He said, worried for both Mikaela and Sam. He didn't like the way their relationship was going, knowing that Sam loved her with all of his heart. But what he saw from the whole picture, he was sure Sam could see as well. Starscream had learned to trust Mikaela, and thus the two of them had become close friends. Sam shook his head, mumbling under his breath, not realizing Prime would hear him.

"...I could tell you what's wrong with her..." he said bitterly, and highly confused. Optimus raised an eyebrow and leaned over a bit, trying to see Sam's face. Sam looked at Optimus.

"What?" he asked, watching the Autobot leader stare at him.

"If you know what is wrong with her, why did you ask me?" Optimus asked, confused. Sam sighed, shaking his head and looking away.

"I honestly don't know, Prime...just a guess, but..." he shook his head again. "The idea is so outrageous that there is no way it would ever happen, and I don't know why I even worry about it. I guess I am just barking up the wrong tree, here..." He said standing up straight and heading back over to the work table. He needed something to work on to take his mind off of Mikaela. Prime raised another eyebrow for two reasons, one, the idea that Sam had brought forth into his processors about Mikaela, and the other reason for the barking comment.

"Sam, you are not a..." he paused, searching for the word. "...A dog. You do not bark." he said, not understanding the comment.

"Woof, woof," Sam replied, looking up at Prime with a serious face, which made it all the funnier. Prime chuckled as Sam looked back down at his work. "Seriously, what I meant was that I am just getting paranoid over the whole situation. I know Starscream and Mikaela are just friends. I don't know why...but maybe she is right...maybe...I am jealous..." He set down his screwdriver and looked at Optimus, a concerned look on his face. "I haven't been jealous like this since..." he paused, trying to remember. After a moment, he shook his head and picked back up his screwdriver, going back to his work. Optimus stood up and stared at Sam.

"Will you be alright, Sam Witwicky?" He asked, concern showing in his voice. Sam looked up at Optimus with a light smile, and nodded. Optimus nodded back, and went out of the room, hearing a clang of metal against several objects after a few seconds from the room and a low frustrated scream from Sam. He didn't turn back, knowing that Sam wanted time alone. Optimus sighed heavily, worried for his friend. He would talk with Mikaela and find out why she was so upset.

* * *

"Whoohoo! Go, Star!!" Mikaela yelled as she watched him locked in battle with Ironhide, Ratchet and Bumblebee. He was helping them train, showing them some of the methods that the Decepticons used so that the Autobots would be better prepared. The other Decepticons were on their way, and there was already radio talk of strange meteors entering the solar system. They didn't have much time left. Starscream was able to identify the time that they would arrive on earth, some time between 4 and 5 PM the next day. They were running a bit late, but anything in space could have caused them to be delayed. As part of Starscream helping the Autobots, he had also been keeping in contact with the other Decepticons, but keeping his messages screened, so that none of them were able to discern anything out of the ordinary. He had already discussed this with Optimus. The element of surprise was the best thing. Starscream wasn't sure how he was going to plan telling them that they aren't fighting anymore, and he was sure that those he had called would not be happy. 

Ironhide and the others were all using low-level blasters and weapons, with barely enough energy to even tickle the other, but just enough for the one on the receiving end to know he got hit. However, the weapons DID look like they still could pack a punch. She wondered how everyone felt about Starscream helping them out. Apparently Ironhide had gotten used to Starscream being there, but every once in a while now Mikaela felt tension between them, especially if Starscream said something about the other 'cons. She hoped that the tension would eventually wear itself out. She had a feeling if that wasn't there, they would be excellent friends.

She was so engrossed in watching them train that she didn't notice Optimus until his shadow covered her. She turned and looked, grinning up at the big Autobot leader.

"Hey, Optimus. Sit, enjoy the show." She said, patting the ground next to her. Optimus silently obliged and sat down, the ground thudding softly as he did. He watched the training for a few moments, analyzing everyone's movements. Starscream was almost completely healed now, and he would be able to transform later tonight, so he wasn't pushing it by trying to transform just yet.

"Mikaela," Optimus spoke after a few moments, breaking the silence between them. "Sam is upset. He feels that..." he paused, shocked at himself for what he was about to say. "...that there is something...with you..." he paused again, not sure how to say that. Mikaela looked at Optimus, wondering what he was trying to say.

"With me what?" she asked, gently promting him to continue. Optimus sighed, watching the battle, processing the best way to voice Sam's worries.

"Sam is jealous." He said simply. Mikaela raised an eyebrow at Optimus, his comment taking a second to reveal the hidden message. She looked in shock at Starscream, then back at Optimus, and pointed at Starscream while staring at Optimus. He turned to look at her, staring at her, somehow finding the look on her face amusing.

"What? Wait...Starscream? He's jealous of Starscream??" She asked incredulously, both eyebrows raised now. "You're kidding...tell me you are kidding..." Optimus shook his head.

"No, Mikaela, I am not. Sam believes there may be something more than the friendship you share with Starscream. It worries him, and he is very confused at the moment." He said staring at her, watching her reactions. Milkaela stared at Optimus for a long moment, unable to say anything or even move. She blinked after a bit, then lowered her hand and stared out at the training battle. She shook her head.

"No." she said softly. "I don't see how something like that could happen." She didn't turn back to Optimus at all. His and Sam's worries brought to light something she had not thought of before, and the thought...it scared her. She sat in silence for the rest of the time, Optimus leaving her after a bit, feeling worried for her. Something was on her mind now, and he could tell by the fact that she had gone silent. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

* * *

Mikaela sat outside well after dark, not bothering to come inside at all. She stayed out there, thinking of what Prime had said, and what Sam was worried about. She hadn't talked to anyone at all, not even Starscream. Her mind was mentally shutting down from everything that she had been thinking about, and now the only thing she thought about was what was going to happen the next day. She had forced earlier thoughts out of her head, finding them too extraordinary and frightening to think about anymore. She had leaned back and was staring at the sky, watching the stars, when an F-22 shot across the sky, twisting and turning faster than she had seen any jet do. She pulled her arms out from under her head and sat up, staring at the small light of the afterburners disapearing in the distance. She waited a few minutes, wondering if it would come back. Soon she heard the sound of the engines from the jet rushing towards her and she started backing up. She didn't see it until it was almost on top of her, but it actually seemed to stop midair. She heard the familiar shifting of metal and gears and she looked up, watching Starscream land in front of her, back in his normal state. She could have sworn she saw the biggest grin on his face than she had ever seen. She found herself grinning stupidly. 

"Star! Your wing is healed!" She yelled, happy to see her friend healed finally. He knelt down next to her, bending down to look her in the face.

"Yes, it is. And I have you to thank for that, Mikaela." He held a hand out to her and she climbed up onto it, enjoying the feeling of being raised up higher. She climbed onto his shoulder and sat down, looking at him.

"It's alright. I told you I wanted to." She smiled at him. "You know...you have come a long way from 5 days ago. Back then, you would have been content blowing us all to peices. Now look at you. You seem happier, Star, and that is a good thing," she said, grinning. Starscream looked at her, listening to the small human's words. He had quickly learned to trust her and lean on her for support. Why her, he didn't know. But something about her pushed him to make the decision to try to work things out, try and fight for the peace that was so long overdue. He thought about what she said, about being happier. He managed a smile, and even though his teeth were sharp, there was still a softness to the look on his face.

"I am happier..." he said softly, with a voice that shot Mikaela to the core. _What the hell?_ She shook it off and looked out at the desert again, changing the subject.

"Feels better to fly again, doesn't it?" She asked, looking up to the sky. Starscream looked at her for a moment, then raised his hand to her without saying a word. She looked at him, confused. He nodded and she slowly climbed down, letting him lower her to the ground. She barely had time to step down before she heard shifting metal behind her. She turned around to see the last couple of panels sliding into place as he retook his jet form. The hatch at the top popped open and a detached voice sounded out.

"Climb in. I have a gift for you."

Mikaela stared in disbelief at Starscream. He wanted to take her for a ride?? She raised an eyebrow and walked slowly towards him, instinctively raising a hand to his right wing as she stepped up to him, her fingers running lightly across the front end of it. When she got to where she could climb up, she grasped his wing and pulled herself up, climbing up onto his wing. She looked around, feeling odd. She had never been this close to a jet, even if it was Starscream. She had never been this close to his jet form, for that matter. She walked over to the cockpit and stared down, looking at the control panel.

"Are...you sure?" She asked, unsure of herself. Starscream chuckled lightly.

"Yes, now get in. Or I am taking off without you." He said, trying to sound threatening. Apparently it worked, because she climbed in quickly, sitting down in the small area. The hatched closed over her and he began to roll across the desert, turning to point toward open land. After getting into position, he stopped.

"Are you ready?" he asked, wanting to make sure. Mikaela nodded, not sure if he could see her.

"Yes." she said simply, ready to go.

Starscream fired up his engines and he took off along the ground, gaining speed. When it felt right to him, he lifted up, taking to the sky. Mikaela watched in awe as the ground fell away from her. The feeling was exhilerating, to be flying higher and higher into the sky. She turned her head to face the stars, marveling at the beauty of it. She kept looking around as Starscream flew higher, showing more and more of the earth as he took to higher skies. But he wanted to show more to her. He flew to the point where they were damn near above the atmosphere, knowing he would be able to keep her safe. The air up here was thin and very cold, but the view was tremendous. Mikaela found herself crying quietly, amazed at the beauty of the sun rising above the earth, shining though the atmosphere. She raised a hand to her mouth, covering it, her body jerking slightly as she tried not to cry. Starscream felt her movements, and spoke to her.

"Are you alright? Are you damaged?" He asked, worried about her. Mikaela laughed between the tears, a smile coming to her face.

"Yes, Star...I am fine. I just...I am...I never thought I would see something so...so...beautiful..." Her head was reeling with emotions, all of them happy. Starscream smiled inwardly, glad he was able to show her something that she had never seen before. She leaned back against the seat, staring at the earth, tears of happiness rolling down her cheeks. No one had ever been able to do something like this for her, to literally give her the world. Her eyes widedened in shock at her own thoughts and she covered her mouth again, inhaling sharply but quietly. She stared out at the sun, thought not directly. _Why did Optimus have to bring that up? Why?_ She thought to herself, lowering her hand and relaxing against the back of the seat, staring at the earth below them. She felt her cheeks flushing, growing red as she thought about what Optimus had said.

"Star..." she said after a moment. "Why are you doing this? Showing me this?" She asked carefully, wondering exactly what his purpose for this was. There was silence for a while, which made her a bit nervous.

"I wanted to give you something in return," he said, pausing for a second. "...for helping me." His voice was quiet, but just loud enought for her to hear him. His voice was almost sad. She turned and stared at the control panel, having picked up on the sadness.

"Star...what's wrong?" She asked softly, her voice hinting at the fact that she had picked up on the sadness. He didn't respond right away. She sat for a few minutes before speaking again.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, Star. If you're not comfortable with-"

"I don't want you around when the battle starts."

Mikaela was floored, her jaw dropping open at his remark.

"You...you what?" she stuttered, stunned beyond belief. She didn't realize that he actually cared enought to want to keep her out of harm's way and away from the battle.

"I don't want you with us when the battle starts tomorrow." he said again, his voice firm but gentle. Mikaela raised an eyebrow.

"But...why not? I can help you guys..."

"I won't risk you." He stated, hiding a flood of emotions behind a flat voice. Mikaela blinked, feeling her cheeks flush red again. She wasn't sure what to say. She was quiet for a moment.

"Why not?" she ventured, half afraid of what his answer would be. She looked back out to the earth, feeling odd. There was yet another delay of silence, which slowly unnerved her.

"You've helped me so much...and I've..." He paused, not wanting to finish where that sentance was going. Mikaela stared at the control panel, finding herself reaching out and touching the display screen softly. She felt her heart beating a million miles a minute. She felt nervous, excited, apprehensive and scared.

"Star...don't..." She said, her voice shaky. Her fingers trailed down the screen as she felt her arm go limp, letting it fall onto her lap. She suddenly saw Sam in her mind's eye, and she shut her eyes tightly, a small silver tear falling down her cheek. _How could this be happening??_ She thought, worry and fear rushing through her. She dared not make a sound; she didn't want to worry Starscream.

"Mikaela..." his voice broke through her clouded thoughts. He didn't know what to say...but he wanted to say something to console her. But no words came to him and he remained silent after that. Mikaela leaned against the window staring out at the world. He had literally given it to her, and it meant more to her than she ever thought it would. She sniffed lightly and swallowed.

"Star...let's go back..." she whispered softly, choking back tears as her thoughts and feelings whirled around her mind, creating too much for her to handle. Starscream obliged silently, turning back towards the atmosphere and heading back...

* * *

End Chapter 12

* * *

I know, angsty. (laughs) Well, I hope you all like. I will add chapter 13 soon. 


	13. Chapter 13

This one is mostly filler, but it is good at anyrate. Enjoy and thanks again for reading it!

Chapter 13: Fighting for the Best

Deep into the solar system, 4 meteors passed the Earth's moon, slowing down and preparing for entrance into the atmosphere. They had been called to this planet by a signal that had been been sent out months before, but they increased their speed due to a distress signal by one of their own. Their original time was to be close to 5pm the next day, but being as how they had never been in this system before, their estimations were a little off. To be expected, of course.

They would have sent out a signal, but the only problem with that was at this distance, any one of the Autobots would be able to pick it up. The closer they were, the stronger the signal. They sailed towards the large blue and green planet, which hung like a jewel in the vastness of space...

* * *

The way back was a silent one, neither of them really talking much. Mikaela had a feeling of what Starscream had almost said, and she didn't want to hear it. It frightened her because it forced her to see a side of her that she had been trying to push away. She tried to push it away due to fear, knowing that there were several that, if they found out, would do nothing but try to discourage her. She realized, when Optimus brought to light Sam's fears, that they were right. She hadn't seen it before until now. The mere idea of it all scared the hell out of her, and now she wasn't sure what to make of it. She thought of Sam, who had been there for her through everything ever since the Autobots had come to earth. He was, in essence, the reason why she was here right now. She gave a small half-hearted laugh at the thought. Starscream picked up on her laugh. 

"Are you alright, Mikaela?" He asked, worried because of her silence since she asked to go back. Mikaela smiled a bit, though still nervous and scared.

"Yes, Star, I am fine. I was just laughing because...well...Sam..."

Starscream processed this for a moment, realizing she wasn't done explaining.

"He's technically the reason I am here right now...with you," she said, finding the whole situation rather funny in her current state of mind. "If I hadn't gone with him that time, I would not be here now. I know that things happen for a reason...but this is just funny.  
Who would have known that my boyfriend would eventually inadvertantly introduce me to someone..." She paused, not finishing that last bit. She still didn't know what to think about all of this. Starscream processed this for a moment, catching on the rest of what she was talking about without her even saying it. He felt a fleeting moment of relief wash over him, because he had worried that she would not have felt the same way that he was finding himself for her. He was still confused by the situation, and he didn't even know why he was feeling that way. Maybe it was because she had helped to repair him, helped to bring him out of stasis. Maybe it was because she had helped repair his spark casing. He wasn't sure at all where the turning point was. Maybe it was their first conversation as they walked down the hall together. He didn't know. He just knew that as the days went by, she kept amazing him over and over with her words, her encouragement, and her strength. For a human, she had this innate ability to know how to get to someone without even touching them. He didn't know how she did this, and it confused him a bit. But now, the way she spoke...

"Do you...?" He wasn't sure how to ask, and stopped before he could finish it. He mentally yelled at himself for even starting to ask that. Mikaela grinned knowingly, feeling as if something had taken her over and the rest of her body and mind was shoved to the back while this other part of her took the wheel. She wasn't sure if she liked this or not, but she had a feeling she would find out really quick.

"-Care?" She finished for him, asking him if that is what he wanted to ask. She didn't give him time to respond, however. Her voice lowered to a quiet level as she stared down at the earth, which was rising up to greet them, welcoming them home. "Depends on what I am caring about. Sam? Yes, very much. The Autobots? They are my friends, of course I care about them.  
You...?" Her voice lowered even more, barely audible above the roar of Starscream's engines.  
"Maybe more than I should..."

* * *

Sam walked into the mess hall and went to the kitchen to find something to eat. He wasn't hungry, but he knew he needed something to eat at least. He hadn't eaten all day, considering he had been working on the cannons all day. But that wasn't the main reason for him not wanting anything. There was something up with Mikaela. He didn't like the way she defended Starscream. He shook his head at the thoughs that began straying in, shutting his eyes tightly. He knew that it wasn't possible for that to happen. She was human, he was a Decepticon...someone from another world and of completely different species. Sam put together a sandwich to eat, and found a can of spaghettios in a cupboard and a pepsi in the fridge. He heated up the 'ghettios and took his food out to the tables in the mess hall, sitting down. He stared at his food for a moment before taking a bite out of the sandwich. After a moment, he could hear heavy thudding coming down the hall. He looked up to see Optimus walk in. Sam watched him for a moment, the two looking at each other, and then looked back down to take another bite of his sandwich. Optimus paused, knowing what he needed to tell Sam. 

"Sam. May I speak with you?" He asked, kneeling down in front of him and lowering down so that he could see Sam better. Sam nodded between bites.

"Sam, I spoke with Mikaela today. She informed me that there is nothing but friendship between her and Starscream," he started, watching Sam carefully. Sam looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Great..." he said, still unsure. He watched Optimus for another moment, who's optics were looking back and forth between Sam's eyes. It made him look nervous. "There's more, isn't there?" Optimus nodded slightly. Sam looked down, staring at the ham and mayo staring back at him between the slices of bread.

"She seemed surprised and apalled at the idea at first when I mentioned it. But after a moment she got quiet and would not say anything after that. I believe that it may be my fault, Sam... If I had not spoken to her, I may very well have left the mere idea of it out of her mind." Optimus explained, feeling guilty that it was possibly his fault. Sam looked up at him and then shook his head.

"No, I doubt it is your fault. I think she had those thoughts before, but just would not admit them to herself. You just brought them to light. What I don't understand is why..." Sam said calmly, but he was anything but calm. He was hurt, angry, and he hoped that everything that was being said was false. He guessed he would find out sooner or later what was going on. He looked up at Optimus. "Is she here still? Or did she take off somewhere?" He asked, half afraid to hear the answer. Optimus paused for a moment, his optics dimming slightly as he ran a scan over the base. When he couldn't find her, he extended his scan further out, and when he STILL couldn't find her, he extended them even further, to touch the edges of the atmosphere. He picked up on Starscream in his jet form, suddenly turning and heading away from the base. He also picked up on Mikaela's form sitting within Starscream's jet form. Optimus frowned. Sam saw it and knew instantly.

"She's with him, isn't she?" He asked blatantly. He looked at Optimus, already knowing the answer as the large Autobot nodded. But just as Optimus was about to shut off his scans, he picked up on 4 other objects entering the atmosphere. His optics dimmed more, focusing his energy on extending the scans to include identification. Sam watched him, a confused look on his face as he watched Optimus's eyes seem to dim out more.

"Optimus? What is it?" He asked, wondering what was wrong. Optimus's optics suddenly flared back to their normal brightness as he lowered his scans, standing up quickly.

"Sam, the Decepticons are here. There are 4 of them so far. They just entered the Earth's atmosphere." He stated, already sending out a signal to the other Autobots. He debated sending one to Starscream, but if he did that, it could give away their well guarded secret of having brought Starscream to their side in the intrest of stopping the war. He knew that Starscream would pick up on their energy signatures soon...but he wondered also if Mikaela wouldn't distract him from running any scans. "We need to get ready, Sam. Get the cannons into place, I will ready the others." Optimus said, turning around and heading out.

_Finally, something to blow up, _Sam thought as he abandoned his dinner and headed out.

* * *

Mikaela had asked Starscream if there was any way that they could go somewhere else for the time being. She couldn't face Sam right now, and she definately didn't want to hear it from Optimus. She KNEW what he would say. She was slowly beginning to accept what she felt, though it still left her scared and confused. She was still rather quiet, especially after her admission to him. Starscream had fallen silent when she said that, understanding what she meant when she said,"maybe more than I should..." He was relieved yet nervous himself about this whole situation. Relieved that she admitted that, but also nervous because he knew that there was so much at stake should they try to make things work. He didn't know how things could work between them, but, honestly, he wanted to try. He found himself stunned at the thought. But he wanted to know how Mikaela felt about that. Starscream cut his afterburners as he flew over a field that was far out of the eyes of anyone else. He landed a few moments later, pulling to a stop and opening the hatch again. Mikaela climbed out and onto his wing, then jumped down onto the soft grass. She smiled and turned around, watching him transform back into his normal form, metal shifting and gears whirring. Somehow, she found the sound fascinating. As he transformed, she managed to catch a gimpse of his spark, which shone through a tiny window in the spark casing. She smiled softly at that, remembering how she had managed to repair the casing. She remembered feeling dizzy as she worked on it, not realizing that the energy of his spark was actually reaching out beyond the casing and touching her slightly. It was also the reason that she occasionally got shocked when she was working on it. But what she found odd was the fact that the shocks didn't hurt her...instead, it seemed to fill her with an energy she had never felt before. Every time she got shocked, she found herself grinning stupidly, like a little kid at christmas after getting the toy she wanted so badly for half the year. She never told Ratchet, because she figured it was just because she was working on what was basically the power source and personality of any of their species. She didn't think anything of it at all. But she also remembered that when she finally backed away from him after fixing the casing and he was coming out of stasis, she had felt completely exausted. She figured that was also because of the fact that she had worked all night on him, never letting up except for when Sam showed up with the food and drink for her. 

She shook her head, clearing the memory as he finished transforming. She looked up at him, realizing she was beginning to see him in a different light. Her instinct told her at this point to run, but she didn't. She felt more comfortable here with him than going back to the base, even though she was still scared. Starscream lowered his hand to her, and she climbed on; the feeling of him raising her to her shoulder was exhilerating. She climbed up onto his shoulder as he walked a ways into the field and sat down slowly so as not to knock Mikaela off balance. They sat there for a good 20 minutes before speaking again.

"Star...thank you." Mikaela said suddenly, breaking the silence. She had been staring at the stars above her, one of her favorite songs running through her head...

They're saying  
Mama never loved her much  
And daddy never keeps in touch  
That's why she shies away from human affection  
But somewhere in a private place  
She packs her bags for outer space  
And now she's waiting for the right kind of pilot

To come (and she'll say to him)

She's saying

She smiled inwardly at the part about the 'right kind of pilot', shaking her head slightly. Starscream looked at her.

"For what, may I ask?" he asked her, raising a large metal eyebrow. She turned her head, facing him, staring in wonder at the intense complexity of him. She smiled softly at him.

"For what? Star...you...you literally gave me the world just now. That is something no one could ever do for me. You didn't have to. Just a ride around would have been more than enough, lo-" she caught herself mid-word, her eyes opening wide at what she nearly said. She clamped her mouth shut and stared at the ground, her cheeks turning hot, followed quickly by the rest of her body. Apparently her mouth was not on par with her brain at the moment, and was more connected to her emotions. After a second she continued, but her body was now hot with embarrasement. "It would have been enough. And yet...you took me above the earth, to a sight that very few ever get. A view of the planet we live on from space...with the sun rising behind it..." she turned and looked back at Starscream. "Star...that is something you don't do for just anyone..."She said, staring directly into his optics...well, this close, it was just one of them. But her gaze was enough to hold him as he stared back, slowly realizing he was lost to her. _This...this shouldn't be happening...this can't happen...she's human...I'm not...how can we...?_ he thought to himself, worried and confused. But looking at her, he was instantly calmed by her presence. He had no explaination whatsoever for that. Somehow, she had been the only one who had managed to take all the anger, hate and frustration he ever possessed and wash it away. He ran another diagnostic on himself, still wondering if there had been anything done to him to cause him to feel like this. He found nothing, aside from traces of her from when she was helping to repair him. He didn't bother, however, to run an analysis on his Spark...

"It's something that someone would do for someone special to them..." she finished, breaking into Starscream's thoughts and his analysis. She didn't realize that he had run another scan over himself. He looked t her, processing what she had said. After a few seconds she turned and looked back up at the sky, watching as a shooting star flew across the night sky, leaving trails of sparkles behind it. She closed her eyes, cleared her mind, and made a wish.

"That...is why I did it, Mikaela..." Star said after a moment, his voice soft but still deep. He had turned his head back to face the stars as well. Mikaela looked at him in surprise. She studied the side of his face, trying to gauge his emotions. A small breeze wafted through the trees, rustling the leaves. The breeze teased at her hair, blowing small whispy strands across her face. She reached up and brushed a strand from her eyes, watching him.

"I'm...special...to you?" She asked slowly, wonderment in her voice. She stared at Starscream, who turned and looked at her at the same time. His optics flicked between her eyes, one, then the other. His expression looked softened now, compared to several days ago. Back then, so much anger...

"Yes," he said after a moment. "You are. But as for why I am not sure... however..." he paused, looking for the right words. "You have shown me a kindness that no one has ever shown me, or taken the time to try." He looked back out to the stars, watching as they flickered in the clear dark sky. "You repaired me, despite the possibility of me recovering from stasis and killing everyone...believe me...the thought HAD crossed my circuts. But when Optimus pointed at you and and Ratchet...I didn't know what to think anymore. I kept thinking,'why would a fleshling and an autobot want to save me?' I had no idea." He explained, wanting her to understand where he was coming from.

"So...why me?" She asked, looking at him. She understood he was grateful, but...she KNEW there was something else. Starscream turned to look at her, unsure if he should tell her or not. He looked back at the stars, silent for a while as he debated.

Mikaela spoke first.

"Star...am I...more than just a friend to you?" She asked carefully, very unsure of herself. Starscream turned and looked at her again, his bright red optics flickering to blue for a split second and then back to red. It was brief, hardly even a second. But the blue eyes was enough to tell her, even though he still answered.

"You...have become someone...that I would sacrifice my Spark to save your life." He said quietly, not looking away from her. "And you are the first."

His admission to her had tears welling up in her eyes, not to mention her cheeks redder than a can of coke. She had no idea how this was going to work. She was still with Sam...but...this...she had no idea what to think. She wondered suddenly how things would work with them...how a relationship would go between them. While the idea both scared and excited her, she didn't know if it would work in the end. Here she was, with someone from another world, easily 10 times her size, and she felt something for him. She knew she did. She looked down, her cheeks hot from her feelings and from embarrassment. She turned her head away from him, scared and nervous.

"Star...how...how would things work for us? I mean...you and I...I don't-" her words were cut off by the feel of slighly warm metal gently touching her cheek and turning her face. She found herself staring back at Starscream, whose eyes she swore displayed an emotion that she never thought a Decepticon could ever have. It melted her to the core. Her body relaxed finally in a state of resignation.

"I need..to tell - "

Her words were cut off by a loud banging noise and a brilliant flash of light as a large meteor burned the sky above them. She looked up, alarmed.

"What-?"

Starscream opened his hand to her, running a scan as he did so. He knew exactly what was going on, and it wouldn't be long before they were both in danger.

"We have to go. Now. The other Decepticons have arrived." He said seriously, lowering her to the ground after she climbed into his hand. When she was low enough, she jumped off of his hand and watched as he transformed quickly back into his F-22 form, firing up his engines. Mikaela grabbed his wing and swung herself up as he opened the hatch for her to climb into.

"Get in! We have to leave now! It won't be long before they find forms to use as a disguise." He said as she climbed in. He closed the hatch when she was safely in and took off along the ground, gaining speed quickly. He lifted off, veering towards the base, his afterburners kicking in, scorching the night sky with their firey blue flames...

* * *

End of chapter 13! Haha, cliffhangers...gotta love them. Stick around, the good stuff comes next! 


	14. Chapter 14

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own DTV, TRANSFORMERS, OR any of the characters herein. I make no money off of this. It is for fun and fun only. I borrow DTV because it was the first thingon my head. Yes. I said DTV. Also, there is a reference to the rounds used against the Decepticons in the movie, but all I can remember of them is 105. So, until I get the info again, that is how it will remain.

* * *

Chapter 14: No More Time

The four meteors crashed in various locations near each other. Two landed in an airplane museum, which held planes from a long time ago up to the most recent and advanced aircraft. Another had the privlege of landing in an airbase, and the fourth landed at a local  
satellite provider with the Directv symbol on it. The meteor crashed through the building, the building exploding into a ball of flames. All but one vehicle was demolished.

The meteor at the DTV building sat smoking for a moment before a loud whirring noise could be heard. Gears and slick metal plates began moving and sliding away, the meteor unfolding at first slowly, then faster as the transformation became easier. After a moment there stood a very large metal humanoid creature, with an oddly shaped almost flat head. It turned to look around, its one glaring yellow optic sensor landing on the DTV van. It activated it's sensors and scanned it, analyzing it's structure. Finding it acceptable,  
the figure transformed again, taking on the shape of the van. A dish sat atop the new van a Decepticon symbol gracing the center of the dish. The newcomer gunned it's engine and revved out of the place, sending a signal to the other three. A few moments later three jets  
scorched across the sky with their after burners, headed for the Autobot base.

* * *

Everyone was already together at the base, but no one had seen or heard from Starscream or Mikaela at all. Sam sat at a table next to Bumblebee, staring down at his hands. Optimus and Ratchet were talking and Ironhide was pacing back and forth. Simmons had been summoned from his room that he had been hiding in this whole time, trying to stay away from the large 'bots. He didn't want to be underfoot or killed for what he had tried doing to Bee. He now sat about 6 feet from Sam, occasionally glancing at the kid. Sam caught him once and glared at him, causing Simmons to look away and not look back. He started staring at his own fingers, not even sure why he was here. He sat there for a few moments, not sure what was going on. He finally gave up. 

"Will somebody please tell me what the hell is going on??" He yelled, having gotten annoyed. He looked at everyone when they stopped and stared at him. Ironhide and Sam looked the most annoyed at him. "What? Does it hurt to keep someone updated?" He asked, annoyance in his voice. Sam just looked up at Optimus and then back down to his hands, refraining from speaking. If he did, all his feelings would just burst over and he would take everything out on the damned idiot. Optimus turned to Simmons.

"We are going to be under attack soon, and we need to find out where Starscream and Mikaela are. They went missing about an hour and a half ago. There are other Decepticons here now, and they will arrive shortly," Optimus said, not elaborating on the situation with Starscream and Mikaela. Simmons stared at Optimus, the only thing sticking out in his mind was the part about Starscream and Mikaela. He raised an eyebrow, getting the wrong idea. Or at least, he HOPED it was the wrong idea.

"St-Starscream? Mikaela?? You...You are kidding me...right? Right?" He looked around incredulously at everyone. Sam looked up at Simmons with an exceptionally dark stare, and Simmons caught the look and his eyes widened. "No way...but how??" He asked, taking the look to mean that it was true. Sam stared at him, his glare getting darker.

"Shut up, Simmons, or I'll strangle you myself." Sam said dangerously. When it came to Mikaela, he was defensive over her. He loved her very much and would never smother her or anything like that. But in this particular situation...he had no idea what to do. He hated the idea that there could possibly be something more than friendship between the two. He didn't even know how something like that would work. His thoughts lead him to darker thoughts that he didn't even want to see or think about, and he closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, trying to clear the images and thoughts.

"We doubt it is like that, Simmons. For now, they are friends. She did help to repair him, after all. She has been the one out of all of us to show him the most kindness, and to help us out against the Decepticons. Right now, we are ever thankful for her help. But at the moment, we need to figure out how we shall defend against our would-be attackers. Starscream said that he wasn't sure who will be arriving, just that there are 4 of them." Optimus interjected, changing the subject and relieving Sam of the spotlight. Simmons looked disapointed, but pointed at the ground cannons they had ready to be taken outside.

"The cannons are ready to be hauled outside. The are useful, and we managed to find some 105 rounds for them. So we should be good there." He said, hoping to sound somewhat useful. Optimus nodded.

"Thank you, Simmons. You have helped us tremendously since we have arrived, even if at first you were rather reluctant. You have earned my gratitude." Optimus said, nodding at Simmons slightly. Simmons grinned, looking around.

"See? I'm useful." he said, bragging. Sam just shook his head.

No one had time to get another word out as a shockwave from a blast outside rocked the base. Everything shook, some tools fell off of some benches, and the lights flickered and dimmed for a moment. Everyone looked around, half-ducking as the blast hit. Another hit right after that, taking out the lights completely.

"They're here!" yelled Ironhide, extending his cannons and activating them. Optimus nodded.

"Everyone! Outside! It's time!" Optimus yelled out over a third blast that hit. He vaugely wondered where Starscream and Mikaela were. Granted, they were out of danger at the moment, but for how long?? Everyone ran out of the mess hall and down the hall, Ratchet transforming so Sam and Simmons could go with them just as fast. When they arrived at the entrance to the base, they were greeted by a large figure with one bright yellow optic stomping towards them, with three aircraft flying back and fourth firing at them, but missing the large figure. Optimus growled darkly.

"Shockwave..."

* * *

Mikaela sat inside Starscream's jet form, twisting her fingers. She had damn near given in. She was still nervous from their time together alone, but she was now more nervous about the impending attack. She watched out the window of the cockpit, wondering what other Decepticons would be arriving. She looked down at the screen involuntarily.

"Star, do you know who all is here now?" she asked nervously, finding comfort in staring at the screen. She heard a slight rumble from him, different from the roar of his engines.

"I am running scans now...and from what I can tell, we are not going to have an easy time." he said uneasily. There were several there that he didn't feel like facing. First off, there was Shockwave. He was pretty much on par with Megatron, and far more dedicated to the Decepticon cause than any other Decepticon he had seen. He knew that he wouldn't be able to pull Shockwave over to the idea of stopping the war. And then there was the other three. All three he knew, and one he knew would be the easiest to talk with.

"So...we're screwed?" Mikaela asked, breaking into his thoughts. Starscream thought for a second, processing her question.

"Not entirely. There is at least one that I can convince...he's, well...he's basically my clone. My twin. Shockwave, who will be the one next to impossible to convince, created him at one point. I was not aware of the fact until much later. His name is Sunstorm. You will know him when you see him. If I know him well enough, he will have chosen a form very similar, if not exactly like my own form of your earth's F-22's. But the other two...Thundercracker and Skywarp, they will be a handful. Skywarp has the ability to teleport, and Thundercracker will take potshots at anything on the ground. He doesn't care, just so long as he hits something. This makes him dangerous and unpredictable. He would be the main reason why I would not want you anywhere around the battlefield," he explained, veering to the left a bit, altering course to follow the energy readings he was getting. He pushed his afterburners to full blast. "The battle has already begun." He said quietly, but above the sound of his engines.

"Already?" Mikaela asked, raising an eyebrow. When she didn't get a response right away, she swallowed. "Star...you'll be careful, right? I don't...I don't want you hurt again..." She said, choking back her fears. She heard a laughter from him, which made her smile.

"Mikaela, with you around...I'll be perfectly fine." He said as he flew over a hill, coming into view of the base. There was already gunfire and missiles flying everywhere, as indicated by the bright flashes of light flying back and forth between enemies. Starscream targeted one of the other jets, a slick black one. He was going to fly by, firing at it, and then escape long enough to get Mikaela out of danger. Mikaela saw the targeting scanners activating, and she reached up and placed a hand on the console.

"Star, wait. Don't fire yet. Just fly by, like you are announcing your presence. It will be more..." She grinned at her next word. "Deceiving..."

Starscream faultered a bit under her soft touch, but mentally was grinning at her words. He unlocked his targeting scanners and lowered to the deck, buzzing across the base. It attracted attention, but more than what he bargained for. The black jet he was targeting now followed them, and rather closely too. Starscream grumbled slightly.

"Great..." he said, sounding annoyed. Mikaela looked back, ducking almost immediately the moment she saw it trailing them.

"Is that one of them?" She asked, her voice sounding nervous. She tried to duck down further, trying to hide as the other Decepticon flew up beside them.

"Yes. That is Thundercracker...he WOULD chose that for a disguise... showoff..." Starscream replied, grumbling.

"STARSCREAM! NICE of you to JOIN us! BY THE WAY, the battle is the OTHER way!" Yelled Thundercracker, mocking him. Starscream veered away, trying to conceal Mikaela from Thundercracker's voice. He didn't want that over-pompous bastard to see her. He knew Thundercracker would fire on him in an instant if he saw her.

"Oh, well, thank PRIMUS that you are here to light my way 'Cracker!" Starscream yelled back, instantly getting into a verbal fight with him.

"Don't start with me, Starscream! Let's go!" Thundercracker veered off and turned around, going back to the base. Starscream veered off the opposite direction, trying to find a place to land so that he could let Mikaela out and so he could transform. After looking for a moment, Mikaela pointed at a grove of trees.

"There, we can land over there." She said, sitting up a bit higher. Starscream took her advice and found a place to land, rolling into the trees to keep hidden should Thundercracker come looking for them. He popped the hatch and Mikaela scrambled out quickly, jumping down onto the soft grass. She looked around, hearing him transform behind her, metal on metal, scraping and whirring. She found herself making a mental note of this area, how the moonlight fell down between the trees, spotting the grass...she blushed a bright red and turned around to Starscream, who had already finished transforming. She nearly gasped at the sight of him, seeing the same beams of moonlight glinting off of his armor. His red optics seemed to add to the effect, and she felt herself melting at the sight of him like this. He lowered his hand down to her, but she stood, frozen. He looked at her, confused.

"Mikaela? What is wrong?" he asked, worried. He analyzed her face, realizing she was staring at him with a look he had never seen before. Slowly she smiled.

"Star...nothing is wrong. It's just..." she looked down, staring at the blades of grass in her shadow. "You...you're...I've..." She stuttered over her own words, not sure how to say what. She finally stepped into his hand, allowing him to lift her up. He brought her to eye level and somewhat close to his face. She was kneeling right now as she stared into his bright red optics, finding herself mesmerized by them. She couldn't help it. Not any more. She knew what was going on, and though it frightened her, she found herself accepting it. She stood up in his hand, wavering a bit trying to keep her balance. After a moment, she stood at the end of his hand and leaned out, her fingertips brushing his left cheek softly. He brought her a bit closer, letting her get closer to him without falling. Her touch seemed electrifying to him. It was like nothing he had ever felt. He closed his optics as she touched him, and Mikaela found herself grinning, surprised that she was happy about his response.   
Starscream found himself confused at his own reaction to her touch. He felt as if she had jolted him with a million volts of electricity without even using any. His optic sensors seemed to close of their own accord, and he had no idea what she was doing to him. Why her? She was human, and he wasn't. But somehow, she had managed to capture his heart, tame his anger, and for the first time, fill his heart with an emotion he never knew he could feel...love. He opened his optics again, the bright red of them flickering to blue again and back again.

"Mikaela..." he started, wanting to tell her so much, but knowing that there time was highly limited. Mikaela shook her head.

"Star..." She took a deep breath, pushing down thoughts and feelings that threatened to overwhelm her. "There isn't much time...we are wasting it standing here..." she felt a nervousness deep down that she couldn't describe. She found herself leaning forward, her hands pressing against his cheek. She closed her eyes as she felt her lips touch ever so softly against the slightly warm metal of his face. Leaning further forward, her soft lips pressed just slightly harder as she kissed him gently. She could have sworn that she felt a surge of electricity rush through her, her body feeling cold and then extremely hot, one right after the other. Her heart was racing a million beats per minute during that few seconds, which, to her seemed like an eternity.  
Starscream was surprised at her, but overcome with emotions as she leaned forward and kissed him gently. He knew that the kiss was her way of telling him something she was ready to tell him, but not quite ready to voice it. He felt the same electricity rushing through him that she had felt through her own body. He closed his own eyes when her lips touched his cheek, losing himself in the moment. It was if there was a connection being solidified by that simple act.   
Mikaela pulled away after a few seconds, her face flushed red. She opened her eyes to look at Starscream, watching him open his own, revealing his bright red optics, though here and there they seemed tinted with a blue color, making them look more purple in some spots. She smiled softly at him.

"Star...let's go. We have a fight to win...then...we can talk." She said, her voice hinting at something far more. Starscream nodded slightly, unable to speak; he was still stunned over her actions. He had figured that she was beginning to feel for him, but that just proved everything. He held her close to his chest and activated his engines, his afterburners blazing again as he took off for the base. Mikaela smiled up at him, feeling the wind in her hair and against her face. She decided to enjoy this before they got to the battle..who knew what was going to happen. Every battle brought danger, and she knew that anything could happen. Her eyes watered up as the wind ripped at her face, but she couldn't tell if it was because of her emotions or the wind that caused her to cry.

* * *

End Chapter 14

* * *

Okay, I know, sweet and tooth-decaying there..but that was something I needed to do for reasons yet to be revealed. Enjoy all. It is about to get dangerous in the next two chapters. Yeah, TWO chapters.

Silverstreak out.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: What we believe in...

The battle was raging on over the hill at the base, becoming ever more intense as the seconds rushed by. Already all of the Decepticons had been identified. Thundercracker had already shown himself as the sleek black F-117. Skywarp had appeared suddenly using his teleportation ability, reavealing his F-15 disguise. Sunstorm, one that not too many knew of, had taken on the shape of his figurative twin, Starscream, using the F-22 also. Shockwave had already revealed himself as the van with a dish on it. Funny as it looked on him, he was still rather intimidating.

Both sides had already taken heavy damage; Bumblebee had taken a hit to his back, Ratchet was pinned against a wall by Skywarp, who had taken him by surprise by using his teleporting ability. Although struggling, Ratchet was managing to hold his own. Optimus and Shockwave were having it out, exchanging blows and blasts alike. Shockwave had already taken a hit to his shoulder, and Optimus was favoring his left hip. Thundercracker was having a grand 'ol time firing at the ground forces, enjoying watching the grounded Autobots struggle. Ironhide and Bee were taking care of Sunstorm, while Simmons and Sam were firing away at Thundercracker, trying to take him out. Everyone had their hands full. Ironhide seemed to actually be having fun, enjoying firing off his cannons every second or so. Sam and Simmons were both glaring at each other, making a small competition out of seeing who could get the most hits in. Sam was winning, 2-0, and Simmons was glaring at him. Sam just grinned at him and aimed again, firing at Thundercracker, but missing. While they made it a little competition, it was a dangerous one, with lives definately at stake.

* * *

Starscream flew over all the fighting, landing right in front of the doors to the base, his back turned to everyone so no one saw the small human he held in his hand. He set Mikaela down quickly, not wanting to draw attention by staying there too long. She looked up at him briefly before turning to run off to help. 

"Don't you get yourself hurt, Star...okay?" She asked him, worried about him. She didn't like the idea of him going into battle, but she knew it was inevitable. Starscream looked down at her and nodded, his red optics flashing blue for another second. Every time they did that now, her heart skipped a beat. Starscream took off again, flying high into the air and transforming. She couldn't help but stare as she watched him in the night sky, the stars just barely glinting off of his armor. She looked over at Sam and Simmons, who were firing one right after the other at the other Decepticons. Sam saw Starscream take off and then saw Mikaela standing there. She began walking over to them to help with the cannons. She looked at Sam, seeing the look on his face. She could read every question and comment he had on his face, and she felt a stab of guilt rush through her body, but she knew where she wanted to be. She shook her head at Sam.

"Sam...not now. I will explain everything when this is over. Okay?" She said, grabbing one of the cannons and preparing it. Sam just looked at her for a second, his expression changing. In that sentance, she had basically explained anyway. He looked down wanting to ask one simple question. His mouth opened before he could stop it.

"You love him, don't you?" he said, looking at her. He was mentally shocked at himself for asking that, and he couldn't help but follow through with hit. Mikaela stopped what she was doing and stared at him, shocked at how it sounded to her. Love...? She shook her head slightly.

"Sam...please...not now." Was all she could say, not ready to explain everything in the heat of battle. She flipped off the safety and aimed to the sky, finding two F-22s in the sky now. She lowered her cannon, confused. She saw Simmons fire at them and she let go of her cannon and ran over to him. Before she even thought about it she had pushed him away from his cannon with him falling to the ground in shock.

"DON'T FIRE AT EITHER OF THEM!!! We don't know which one is Star!" she yelled, infuriated at his lack of intelligence. Simmons looked up at her, with Sam staring at her in shock from behind her.

"What? They are both Decepticons, right?" He asked, saying the wrong thing. Mikaela leaned down and grabbed his jacket, pulling him up to her face.

"You fire again and you will find the hot end of that cannon up your ass." She said flatly without missing a beat, her voice threatening. Simmons stared up at her in shock, but slowly nodded. She let go from where he was at, letting him drop back down to the pavement. She stood back up and walked back over to her cannon and grabbing it, looking up to the sky. She waited to see if there was any sign of which one was Starscream, and she finally got it when one of them transformed, a weird yellow glow coming from within it.

"THAT ONE!" She yelled, firing at him. She managed to hit him in the legs, causing him to flip over in the air, though not much damage was done. She found herself giggling at the sight. Simmons and Sam tried firing at Sunstorm also, but missed entirely. Starscream, now free for the moment, took advantage of the moment and turned on Shockwave. Before anyone realized what he was doing, Starscream fired, hitting Shockwave square in the back, right between the shoulders. He took a lot of damage in that hit, but he was still in for the fight. He threw a well-aimed punch at Optimus, connecting with his jaw. Optimus staggered backwards, his vision pixelating momentarily. Shockwave took the opportunity to turn around and take aim at who fired on him, not at all surprised to find Starscream on the other end.

"TRAITOROUS BOLT! I should have expected nothing more from you!" Shockwave yelled, taking the opportunity to fire on Starscream. Starscream swerved off to the side, barely avoiding the blast. Shockwave was using non-earth based weapons, using a high-energy focused electromagnetic blast. It created waves of bluish-white light, demolishing anything in its path.

"Come on, Shockwave, you should know me better than that!" Starscream yelled back, taunting him. Starscream dodged back and forth, firing back at Shockwave. Thundercracker saw the whole thing and became enraged, abandoning the fight with Ironhide and taking off after Starscream. Ratchet had managed to break free after landing a well-aimed headbutt to Skywarp's head. Skywarp fell backwards, his vision jarred. He landed on the ground, stunned, shaking his head. Ratchet shook his own head, clearing his own pixelating vision. Skywarp looked up at the Autobot medic and decided now was a good time to exit this battle and come back after regrouping. He phased out, teleporting to a different location for the time being.

"Heh, coward." Ratched mumbled, finding Skywarp's teleporting amusing. He turned to the rest of the battle, watching everything unfold in front of him. Their newfound ally, Starscream, had the attention of both Shockwave and Thundercracker, both of whom were firing on him. Ratchet looked over to their human friends, who were trying their best to take down the other flyers. Mikaela glanced over and saw Ratchet and nodded. He noticed that she seemed rather pissed off, and he wondered what could have pissed her off that much. He watched as she took aim at Thundercracker and fired, skimming across the leading edge of his left wing. He flipped around, transforming in the process, nearly getting blasted by Simmons and Sam this time as they fired on him at the same time.

Ironhide was still fighting with Sunstorm, who was flying, twisting and turning in between Ironhide's blasts. He refused to land, knowing that it infuriated the cannon-slinging Autobot. Sunstorm seemed to enjoy the challenge. He felt it was a chance to prove himself, to prove how extraordinary he really was. Created by Shockwave himself a long time ago by a new cloning process and fitted with a fusion reactor for an energy source, he felt he was completely different from all the others, and felt he needed to prove himself as thus. The cloning process is the reason became Starscream's 'figurative' twin. He dodged Ironhides attacks, occasionally firing at him with plasma blasts, creating blackened craters in the ground near Ironhide.

"You gonna land and fight or keep playing with my attacks?" yelled Ironhide, getting rather frustrated. For a response, he got a plasma blast flying right for him. Ironhide didn't have much of a chance to dodge it, so instead he raised both of his cannons and fired, barely dispersing the blast. He grinned and held his cannons aimed towards Sunstorm, the same cannons still smoking from the last blast.

"Now that's more like it!" he yelled, firing again, this time managing to hit the Decepticon, taking out his engines. Sunstorm transformed, albeit painfully, hitting the ground with his feet and then rolling forward, the momentum driving him forward across the ground. Clouds of dust and dirt surrounded him as he rolled to a stop, crying out in pain as his neural receptors screamed warnings through his body that something had been severely damaged. His back was now smoking and smoldering where he had been hit. Sunstorm was out of the game for now.

Ironhide turned his attention now to the rest of the battle, noticing Ratchet turning to the battle as well. Sunstorm was out, Skywarp was no where to be seen, and currently it was Thundercracker and Shockwave that was left. He ran over to Ratchet, sliding to a stop beside him.

"Ratchet, what is going on?" He asked, wanting an update. Ratchet turned to Ironhide and pointed at the remaining Decepticons. Optimus was still fighting with Shockwave, but was having a hard time of it. Ironhide growled before Ratchet could even get a response out and raised his cannons, preparing to fire on Shockwave at the first chance he got. Ratchet reached up and placed a large metal hand on Ironhide's shoulder.

"Wait, Ironhide...we can't fire on him yet..what if you hit Optimus?" He asked,worried for their leader. Ironhide looked back at Ratchet and growled again, a deep mechanical sound resonating from his chest. He wanted to help take out Shockwave, but he knew Ratchet was right. He knew his cannons could pack a punch and firing into the midst of their battle could cause serious damage to either of them. He lowered his cannons and watched, wondering what else he could do. He watched as Optimus grappled with Shockwave, the two tangled in a dangerous war. Optimus managed to get free enough to raise out his right arm, a large orange-yellow blade extending from his arm with a sharp _shinkt _sound. Using his new weapon, he turned and shoved it straight into the Decepticon's midsection, tearing at vital wires and components. Shockwave gave a loud gutteral cry of pain and anger, reaching up and shoving the Autobot leader backward, the blade pulling out of him. Shockwave wasn't out yet, thought. He stood, staggering a bit, and aimed his cannon at Optimus, firing several blasts in a row. Optimus managed to dodge the first couple, but then got hit himself by the last blast. He fell back wards, emitting a cry of pain as he fell. Ironhide looked back at Ratchet, who nodded and raised his own cannon, Ironhide following suit. The two of them fired at the same time, Ratchet with his one cannon and Ironhide with both of his. All three blasts hit Shockwave at once, one hitting him in the side of the chest, one in the legs and the last hit his cannon. Shockwave fell backwards and hit the ground with a loud deafening thud, metal crashing against rock and dirt. Optimus turned his head and nodded a thanks to his two friends. They had helped him once again. Over and over he owed them his life. He looked over at the three humans who had stopped firing for the moment. Thundercracker had disapeared over the hill for the moment, and everything got eerily quiet. Sam looked over at Bumblebee, who was now standing behind them, his back wound now healing of its own accord, though slowly. Mikaela looked around, not seeing everyone. She glanced over at Optimus, then over at the fallen Shockwave. Fear began to grow in heart as she looked around more, not seeing who she wanted to see.

"Where is Starscream?" She asked, using his full name again. Everyone began to look around, unaware of the battle taking place on the other side of the hill...

* * *

Thundercracker and Starscream had taken the battle away from everyone else, the fight becoming a personal one. Once best friends before the war, they now battled with a fierce hatred against each other, the war having twisted their friendship far beyond the boundries of hating each other. Hateful and hurtful words were exchanged constantly, gunfire and missiles flying between them. Starscream found himself twisting and turning across the land, flying dangerously low to the desert. The blasts from Thundercracker always seemed to barely miss as they flew across the desert in their jet forms, almost like a dangerous game of tag. Starscream found himself thinking of Mikaela and her last words to him. _"Don't you get yourself hurt, Star...okay?"_ His resolve for staying alive for her was strengthened with her words and he transformed in midair, twisting so that he was facing upward, his back towards the desert floor. He aimed his launchers at Thundercracker, firing relentlessly, but still missing as Thundercracker veered from one side to the other, dodging him. Starscream growled and twisted back around, transforming back into his jet form and aimed himself upward, flying up to get away from Thundercracker. He twisted around and around in the sky as he shot straight up, eventually leveling out parallel to the ground and heading back towards the base. He was going to need help with this one. He gunned his afterburners, blazing across the sky. Thundercracker was following him closely, still firing. Starscream swerved side to side as each missile shot past him, one just barely clipping his right wing, but not enough to damage him. _Too close_, he thought. _He's gotten good. _He headed back for the base as fast as he could, twisting, turning, flipping and winding through the air, missiles and blasts surrounding him constantly. He transformed again, looking back at Thundercracker and firing at him. He managed to hit him, but just barely. He caught his right vertical stablizer, blowing the top half of it off. He heard a scream from Thundercracker as the Decepticon howled out in pain. Starscream transformed back into his jet form and continued on for the base. He saw the hill again, the base on the other side, and he saw Mikaela and the others coming to the top and he felt relieved, seeing her. He saw her pointing at something, and he transformed and turned in time to see Skywarp right above him, a cannon aimed right at him. Skywarp had teleported back into the fight, seeing the perfect opportunity come into play. The next 10 seconds seemed like an eternity for both him and Mikaela. Almost as if everything were happening in slow motion, he watched as Skywarp's cannons glowed to an angry orange color and then explode in a flash of light. In the next instant he felt excruciating pain as the blast hit him square in the chest, ripping apart his chest armor. He was hurtling through the sky now, right over Mikaela and the others. He felt another blast hit him again in the same area, tearing into the wires and protective metal plates around his spark casing. The last thing he saw before he blacked out as he went into sudden stasis was Mikaela dropping to her knees and Ironhide aiming for Skywarp... 

Mikaela was watching the scene unfold in slow motion, even though it happened so fast. She watched in horror as Skywarp appeared in the sky above Starscream, aiming his weapons at him. She pointed up at him, screaming for him to watch out. She watched in brief relief as he transformed and turned around to see Skywarp, but it was already too late. Skywarp fired on Starscream, hitting him in the chest. What she didn't expect was the surge of sudden pain ripping through her as he got him. She cried out in pain, grasping at her chest. Her eyes were wide with shock, confused as hell as to what was going on. Optimus and Ratchet looked at her in surprise, both raising an eyebrow. Ratchet went to her, kneeling next to her. He didn't have time to respond as Starscream got hit a second time and she screamed out again, falling to her knees, staring at Starscream as he fell past them. Tears fell from her eyes as the pain ripped through her over and over again, even after he blacked out. She had no idea what was happening. Ironhide had already aimed for Skywarp and fired numerous times, joined after a moment by Optimus, Bumblebee and Ratchet all together. They managed to hit Skywarp and take him down, the Decepticon falling and hitting the ground hard, creating a small crater. Thundercracker veered off to the right, taking off. He saw Skywarp faulter and be hit, falling to the ground in a cloud of dust. Optimus stood guard after that as Ratchet went to Mikaela, who was standing back up and trying to get down the hill.

"Mikaela, wait! You are hurt!" Ratchet yelled, trying to get her to stop. She did, but briefly.

"It's not me that's hurt, it's Star...we need to get to him NOW!" She said harshly, biting back her feelings. She turned back around and ran down the hill, seeing a bright blue light shining through a cloud of dust in the distance. She gave a cry of fear and ran faster, pushing herself farther and faster than she ever thought she could go. After a few moments she finally reached him, and she climbed up over him, staring down at his chest. It had a large gaping hole in it now, the blue light that was shining was his spark shining through a hole in the spark casing that was about twice the size of a basketball.

"STARSCREAM, NO!" She screamed out, not caring anymore about what anyone thought of her, of him...of them. She reached out instinctively, placing her hands over the hole, trying to help seal it. She felt the pain from him wash through her and she bit her lip, causing it to bleed. She tasted a copper taste from her blood as she stared down at the blue light as it shined through her fingertips, the sight overwhelming her as she started to cry uncontrollably. She watched through blurred vision as small tendrils of electricity began to curl around her fingers, sending shocks through her body. It wasn't like the kind she expected. But at this point she didn't care. She wanted to save him, and at this point she had no idea of what to do. Her mind was clouded with fear. She felt a strange burning sensation rush up her arms and through her body as she leaned down, trying to cover the hole with her hands, her fingers splayed over the hole.

Ratchet was the first on the scene, stopping dead in his tracks at what Mikaela was doing. _Oh, Primus...she can't be doing that...That...it...it will kill her..._he thought, terrified for her. Optimus saw next, his reaction the same. Mikaela's hands were slowly being burned by the energy, but she didn't even notice. Optimus looked at Ratchet, the look on his face urgent.

"Ratchet, we need to get him inside now. He needs repairs as soon as possible..." he said, looking at Mikaela. "But I don't know how we can get her from him without..." his voice trailed off as Ironhide and Bee showed up, Bee in his car form with Sam and Simmons inside. Sam stepped out of the car and stared in disbelief at the scene in front of him.

"Oh my god...what is she doing?!?" He asked, too stunned to move. He hadn't realized that Starscream's damage was this bad. Ratchet was already moving towards Starscream as Optimus moved to the otherside. He nodded to Ironhide and then Bee as Bee transformed back, silently asking for help. Mikaela still sat on Starscream's chest, her hands burning from trying to help save him. She felt the energy from his spark begin to wash through her and she shivered, not used to the feeling. She was scared to death that he was going to truely die this time. Optimus watched as they prepared to pick up Starscream, noting a slight blue glow to her form. He looked at Ratchet, who seemed confused, but yet almost knowing.

"Mikaela...stay there. You are the only thing that is stopping his spark from dissipating completely." Optimus said quietly as he nodded at the others. They lifted him up and they carefully carried him into the base, Sam and Simmons following. Mikaela sat there, not caring what they were doing, only focusing on trying to do what ever she could to help him. When they finally got him inside, they set him down carefully and Ratchet moved to try to see what damage had been done, taking note of Mikaela's hands. They were scorched now, but she still didn't feel it.

She was being overwhelmed by the amout of energy that was being emitted by his spark. She choked back a strange feeling in her throat, almost like she was trying to fight back that need to cry, but she was already crying. The energy seemed to be building up to the point where she was going to pass out.

"Star...I told you...not to...get yourself...hurt..." she whispered, feeling darkness cloud around her. She tried her hardes to fight it, not wanting to leave him behind. She wanted to be there for him, to be by his side. She wanted more than anything to tell him one last thing before she passed out, but the darkess was swallowing her at fast and the last thing she saw being her hands over his spark, which seemed to reach out to her...

_ Star...I love you...don't die..._

* * *

End Chapter 15

* * *

..."hello, I'm still here...all that's left of yesterday..." 

Shoot me if you must...

I hope you all like this one...more to come soon! Later today...I need sleep now, getting up in an hour...


	16. Chapter 16

Fair warning...this is the LONGEST chapter to date...My comp crashed again so I was writing this out on paper, and I didn't realize how much I had written...enjoy!

Credits for the song in this story go to Trapt: "Disconnected" (Out of Touch) and "Waiting". Also inspirations for some parts go to Goo Goo Doll's "Before it's too Late".

Chapter 16: Disconnected...

_"...Get so disconnected..."_

_"...too out of touch..."_

_"...so disconnected..."_

_"...too out of touch..."_

_"...disconnected..."_

_"...to out of touch to Touch you..."_

Snippets of a song kept washing over Mikaela's mind, trying to pull her awake. It was a song she had heard before, but she couldn't figure out where it was from, or where it was coming from. She vaguely remembered something bad happening...a blue light...she remembered that. Flashes of what happened suddenly flooded her mind as she tried to wake herself up. She remembered now what had happened, and everything overloaded her mind again. She felt herself blacking out again as she faded back out, the snippets of the song still playing in her mind...

* * *

Sam kept a silent vigil over Mikaela, as she seemed to try to wake up, her hands clenching and releasing. A tear formed in the corner of her eye and fell down the side of her temple, giving way to the law of gravity. Sam saw her tear and realized how much it broke his heart to see her in so much pain. He looked away from her, turning to Ratchet. 

"Ratchet...she's moving. Not much, but she is moving." he said, pointing to her hands. They were wrapped in a light gauze, having been burned by Starscream's spark. Ratchet was bent over Starscream, working on repairing delicate wires. He had been working for twelve straight hours, and so far managed to get nearly everything repaired. He was repairing the final wires around his spark casing, which he figured would take about another hour. He figured Mikaela would be up by the time that Starscream came out of stasis. Ratchet looked up from his work, running a quick scan over her. He found a raised energy level in her and sighed. He knew what that meant...and she was lucky to have survived it. Other than the raised energy levels and the burn marks on her hands, she seemed to be resting well. The fact that she survived it made him wonder if she had previously had any...contact with Starscream. The only time that he could think of was when she had repaired his spark casing the first time. He wondered if anything had happened that would have caused a connection between them. He made a mental note to ask her later when she woke up. He watched her for a moment, looking at her hands. He shook his head lightly, realizing just how lucky Starscream really was. He looked back at the Decepticon before him, the last few delicate wires still needing repairs. _You are one lucky Decepticon, Starscream_, he thought. _Mikaela...she damn near died for you today. She's got something for you, Decepticon. Don't hurt her by dying._ He went back to his repairs, informing Sam that she would be alright. He kept working on Starscream, slowly and carefully repairing the small wires and parts. Sam looked back at Mikaela, knowing she was going to be okay. He felt a gut-wrenching feeling deep within him. He knew he had a choice to make, and he was coming to the realization that in order to make her happy...he was going to have to let her go. He fought back his own tears, gripping the sheets of her bed. He would tell her when she woke up.

* * *

_..."So disconnected..."_

_..."...to out of touch..."_

_..."...Get so disconnected..."_

Mikaela's eyes began to flutter open as she was slowly pulled from the darkness. Her vision was blurred at first, but slowly focusing on the lights over her head. She started to move, whimpering in pain as she tried to move her arms. She looked down, raising arms slowly so she could see them, finding them covered in gauze. She raised an eyebrow at them, wondering what had happened. She lowered her hands and stared up at the lights. _What the hell happened...?_ She searched her broken memory for the events that lead up until now.

_"...to out of touch to touch you..."_

Her eyes flew open wide as that one phrase seemed to open the floodgates to her memory, and instantly she sat up, her eyes watering over. She ignored the pain in her arms and glanced around, her eyes first landing on the figure of Sam sitting passed out in the chair next to her bed. It made her smile a bit, to realize that even through everything, Sam still worried for her and was willing to watch over her. She looked up after a moment, her eyes resting on the frame of Starscream laying down in the middle of the room. One hand instinctively raised to her mouth as her jaw dropped open, her eyes going wide.

"Oh, gods...Star..." she whispered, jumping off the bed and walking towards him. A tear streamed down over her face as she crossed the floor, unaware that her actions had woken up Sam. He watched her as she walked up to Starscream, placing her burnt hands on one of his fingers. She rested her forehead against the same large metal finger, tears quietly streaming down her face. Her body shook as she was wracked by quiet sobs, her face twisted in pain, though not pain from her hands...it was pain from her heart, and it hurt very badly. She had no idea if he was okay or not. She had no way of knowing. Sam got up and walked a couple of steps closer to her, but kept his distance.

"Ratchet managed to repair him. He says that what you did...it was extremely dangerous...but it saved him." he said, speaking quietly. Mikaela whirled around at the sound of his voice, her face still covered in tears. She turned red and turned back around, embarrased.

"Sam...I...you're not supposed to see me like this..."she said, her voice cracking as she tried to dry her face with the back of a gauzed hand. Guilt and embarrasment flooded through her. Sam walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Mikaela...this is your choice. I won't hate you for it. I just have one question..."he asked, watching as she slowly turned around, surprise on her face. "I want to know if we can at least still be friends." He asked softly, kindness and understanding showing in his eyes. Mikaela began to smile softly, even though her heart was still wracked by fear for Starscream.

"Thank you, Sam..." she said quietly, choking back more tears. She was glad that she didn't have to explain everything. She figured that he had figured out everything on his own, or that Optimus or one of the others had talked with him about it.

"Good, you're awake."

Sam and Mikaela turned to see Ratchet standing in the doorway, his arms crossed. Mikaela looked down, suddenly feeling as if she had done something wrong. Ratchet unfolded his arms and walked into the room.

"Sam...may I have a moment alone with Mikaela, please?" he asked, stopping before them. Sam nodded silently and walked out, looking back at Mikaela, still worried for her. He was honestly afraid that Starscream was going to hurt her one day...and worse than he could ever hurt anyone else.

Ratchet walked over towards the wall where there was a cleared away area and sat down, metal grinding against concrete as he did so. He raised a large metal hand towards Mikaela, beckoning her over. Mikaela gingerly walked over to him, unsure and nervous.

"What is it?" she asked, worried that he had bad news about Starscream. Ratchet sighed heavily, which Mikaela didn't like, coming from him.

"Mikaela...Starscream will live, because of your actions," he started out, watching the relieved look on her face. "However," he continued, pausing for a second, not sure how to break the next news to her. "However...in doing so, you've...been bonded to him." he said slowly. Mikaela furrowed her brow, then raised one eyebrow. She wasn't entirely certain she understood that last part.

"Wait...'bonded'? What do you mean by that?" She asked, curious and confused, but in the back of her mind, a part of her was whispering the explaination, and she was already starting to turn red from the thought in her head. She wasn't sure she liked what she was hearing, and she was half afraid Ratchet would confirm it. Unfortunately, Ratchet had a bad habit of being rather blunt, and this time was no exception. She waited a moment, not realizing he was accessing the internet to gather quick information.

"To put it as close to human terms as possible, it would be a near equivalent of your species' act of mating." he said simply, not thinking it a big deal. He didn't realize that it was, in fact, a REALLY big deal.

Mikaela's jaw dropped open in total shock, her face turning beet red, her eyes the size of baseballs by now. Or at least, that is how she felt. She whirled around quickly, turning her back to Ratchet as her embarrasment threatened to overload her and cause her to pass out again. She covered her mouth with both of her bandaged hands, unable to shut her mouth. She stumbled forward a few steps, shocked beyond belief. _No...this...I didn't want...Oh, gods...I was just trying to...to save him..._She covered her face with her hands and sat down on the concrete, unable to stand anymore.

"But...I...I didn't mean...I ..." She was too shocked to get out what she was trying to say. When laughter rang througout the room, she turned her head to look at Ratchet, completely astounded and confused as to why he was laughing.

"Mikaela, it's alright. It is something you didn't know about, and you were merely trying to save him. It's understandable." He said, finding her reactions humorous. Mikaela was in pure shock. She never intended on something like that happening. She was worried about this...but what shocked her most was the tiny part of her mind that actually found it...sweet and attractive. Her face flushed red more and she turned to Starscream, still mostly worried that she had done something horribly wrong.

"Ratchet...what...what have I done?" She asked softly, her voice shaky. She turned around to face him, wondering what exactly this meant in their terms. "I mean, I know what it means in our world...but what about for you? Your race?" She asked quietly, her mind overflowing with everything. Ratchet watched her as he scanned the internet, trying to find the reason that she was so worried about this. He realized that while in their race it WAS a rather personal act, it wasn't so much as on the level of the humans. To the humans, it was something that was mostly very sacred and intimate. He understood now why she seemed so bothered by it.

"Mikaela, I understand what this means to you. We do view this as something personal and intimate as well, however, we do not hold it on the same level as you do. It is somewhat more generalized, but still sacred to us." He replied, trying to explain it. From the look on her face, it wasn't exactly the answer she had been hoping for. She slowly got back up and walked back over to the bed, leaning against it. She crossed her arms across her stomack, suddenly feeling way overwhelmed.

"Gods...what have I done...?" She asked herself quietly, not realizing that Ratchet had heard her. She stared at the floor, getting lost in her own thoughts.

""You saved him, Mikaela. That's what's important right now." Ratchet said, his voice breaking into her thoughts. He was trying to console her, but apparently it wasn't working too well.

"Oh, and my 'bonding' to Starscream isn't??" She asked incredulously, looking up at him Her eyes widened a bit at her own words, realizing how it sounded. It was wierd...and yet...it oddly felt right to her. She looked down again, her cheeks flushing red again. Ratchet bent down, lowering his face to look directly at her.

"Mikaela...what happened last night was something that you did out of your love for him, correct?" He asked her, trying to get her to see his point. She looked up at him, blushing hard at the word 'love'.

"Well..I..." she looked away, not sure how to answer that. Ratchet nodded.

"Exactly. You created something special out of the pure need to save him. Don't let this ruin anything. If you weren't meant to bond with him, his spark would not have reached out to you the way it did." He said. "That proves that he, too, cares for you, Mikaela." He eyed her as she looked up at him, noting the red tint to her skin in her face. He suddenly remembered something.

"Mikaela...when you were fixing his spark casing before...did anything happen?" he asked, watching her, analyzing her reactions. She glanced up at him, her expression one of mild shock.

"How...how did you...?" She started to ask. Ratchet shook his head.

"You would not have survived had there not been a connection before hand, Mikaela. That is why I ask." he said, his voice serious. Mikaela looked down, feeling still more embarrased.

"When I was fixing it...I kept getting shocked...I was a little dizzy...but that was about it. I didn't mention it because I didn't think that it was worth it to say anything..." She said slowly, looking back up at Ratchet, watching him. "Is that what you are talking about, Ratchet?"

Ratchet straightened up, staring at her. What had caused Starscream's spark to reach out for her in the first place? He couldn't figure it out. Granted, the connection was on a much smaller level than their current one, but it was still enough to be able to help her to survive the bonding process. She stared at him when he didn't answer right away.

"Wait...are you telling me I have been bonded to him since that day?!?" She asked, even more shocked and confused now. Ratchet shook his head again.

"No, but you did manage a connection of sorts that stayed with you since then. No, I don't think that either of your feelings towards each other had anything to do with the connection simply because of the fact that neither of you were aware of it. Your feelings are in fact genuine." He said, trying again to explain. "Mikaela...your connection with Starscream is something special. In trying to save his life...you were bonded to him. Is that really so bad?" he asked her honestly. Mikaela looked at him and then looked away, his question stabbing her through, bringing to light the honest truth deep within her.

"How...how is he going to feel about this?" She asked quietly, not looking at Ratchet.

"I don't know. I guess we will find out when he recovers from stasis." He said, reaching out to touch her shoulder with one large metal finger. "Get some rest, Mikaela. When you wake back up, he should be concious." He said, trying to calm her down just a bit. She nodded to him, her mind completely overwhelmed. Ratchet knew she had a lot to think about, and he turned to leave her be, walking out, his large metal feet thudding on the concrete floor.

* * *

Outside, when on one was outside anymore, Thundercracker returned, transforming in mid-air and landing on his feet next to the fallen figure of Shockwave. He grumbled to himself, debating. Finally he reached down and grabbed Shockwave's arm, pulling him up. Thundercracker grunted under the weight, trying to lift him up. 

"Primus, Shockwave...you could stand to go for a lighter upgrade..." he said, making a crack at Shockwave's weight. "This is gonna take a lot out of me..." He said to himself, firing up his engines, flames from his afterburners scorching the ground. He lifted off slowly, Shockwave pulling him down a bit. He finally got high enough and turned south, heading away from the Autobot's base. It took him some time, but he managed to get Shockwave to a cave network that he had found about an hour away from the base. Over the next three hours he worked at this, getting everyone over to the caves. Sunstorm was the main challenge, with his fusion reactor core's energy spilloff causing some minor problems. Once everyone was secure in the main cavern, he slowly began repairs on the three. He wasn't a medic, but he had an idea of the basics. He started on Shockwave first, figuring he would be the best to bring out of stasis first. All initial scans showed that everyone's sparks were still operating. He worked diligently, nervous and afraid of messing up. He had no choice, though...

* * *

_"I'm waiting for you..."_

_"...to get that feeling once again..."_

_"...reunited in the end..."_

_"I want you back.."_

_"...waiting for you..."_

_"...to capture my imagination..."_

_"...fooled by the illusions in my head..."_

The song teased her mind as she slept fitfully, her mind replaying the events that burned her hands and arms. But this time, with her mind having the knowledge of that would happen shoul she go through with trying to save his life again, she kept trying to stop herself. In one dream she succeeded in fighting it, but instantly regretted it in the following scenes. Eventually her mind settled on the fact that she had done the right thing, even if it had bonded them. Once she accepted it, her dreams took her further, her imagination running wild. Anyone watching from the outside would have noticed a bright pink color to her cheeks as her dreams took her to places and times as of yet unexplored...

* * *

Outside her dreams, Starscream finally aroused from stasis. He groaned as he sat up, metal clinking against metal as he did. He raised a hand to his head, slightly disoriented. After a moment, he lowered his hand, his vision clearing slowly. He ran an initial scan over himself, finding everything repaired...again. _That's twice now they've helped me..._he thought to himself, amazed. That thought instantly reminded him of Mikaela, and he found himself scanning across the room for her, finding her on the small medical bed curled up on her side, facing him. He took note on her bandaged arms, curious as to what had damaged her. He stood up and slowly and quietly crossed the room to her, taking extra care to set each foot down quietly so as not to wake her. When he was close enough, he reached out to her, extending on long finger towards her, nearly touching her shoulder. 

"She burned her arms saving you, you know." said a voice. Starscream turned to find Simmons standing there, leaning against the doorway. He pulled his hand back, glaring at Simmons slightly. He glanced back down at Mikaela after a moment, then back at Simmons.

"How?" he asked, curious. Simmons shrugged.

"Dunno. I didn't see all the details. I just know that she risked her life for you." He said, watching Starscream, who looked back down at Mikaela, feelings mostly unknown to him threatening to overload his spark. Simmons pushed off the doorway and turned, leaving. Starscream let him leave, staring down at Mikaela. _Mikaela...why did you risk your life for me?_ he thought to himself, sitting down carefully to avoid waking her up. He watched her unaware that Sam had walked past the doorway. Seeing that Starscream was awake, he went off to let Ratchet know.

Starscream was lost in his own thoughts when Ratchet walked into the room.

"I see you are recovered, Starscream," he said, a small smile teasing his face at the sight of Starscream sitting near Mikaela, watching her. Starscream looked up at the medical officer and nodded.

"Yes...and I thank you." he said, his voice quiet. "What...what happened to her?" He asked, looking back at Mikaela. He was worried for her. He didn't like the fact that she had been damaged. Ratchet shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't sure how Starscream was going to handle this.

"This will take a bit of explaining...so please try to understand some things." Ratchet said, preparing to explain everything. Starscream nodded, ready to listen. Ratchet went into the explaination again, but starting off with how Skywarp had attacked him, then telling him about the gaping hole in Starscream's spark casing. He went on to explain how Mikaela had run to him and, finding that hole, how she tried to cover it with her own bare hands. He was watching Starscream's reactions the whole time, and was getting a bit more uncomfortable with trying to explain this. He found it harder to explain it all to Starscream than he did Mikaela. Maybe because Starscream presented more danger than Mikaela, he didn't know. Starscream was beginning to get uneasy as he talked about Mikaela trying to cover the hole...that meant that she would have damn near _touched_ his spark. He found himself running a deeper scan on himself as Ratchet described the scene, finding everything going into correlation with what Ratchet was saying. His spark now showed traces of her, and the desparate feelings she had at the time of trying to save him.

"...So, in essence...she bonded to you without realizing it." Ratchet finally finished. He stood in silence for a moment, listening to to Starscream's processors whirring and clicking quietly. "Starscream...don't be mad at her for this. All she wanted to do was see you live. She nearly gave her life to do that, and in the process she ended up bonding to you." Ratchet said finally, his voice quiet. Starscream just stared at Mikaela, his spark filled with a mixture of different emotions on the matter. A part of him was mad, but then again, another part of him was filled with a strange sort of happiness. He didn't know what to make of it. Mikaela moved slightly in her sleep, having another dream. This time she was dreaming that Starscream had gotten very upset over everything and had transformed and taken off, leaving her behind.

"Star...please..." she mumbled in her sleep, her voice wrought with sadness. Starscream reached out for her again, his finger barely touching the side of her face, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face.

"She'll be awake soon. If you're not here...you will be the first thing she asks about, you know that." Ratchet said as he turned to walk out. "You are lucky, Starscream. Not many would give their life, much less their heart, in her case, to a Decepticon. But she nearly did with both...but she succeeded with one." Ratchet said, turning his head to Starscream. "Be careful with her. According to Sam, she has a lot to give and, for whatever reason, she has chosen to give it all to you." Ratchet finished, speaking quietly and walking out. Right outside the door stood Optimus, who already knew the entire sitiuation.

"How did he take it?" Optimus asked, curious. Ratchet turned to look back into the room, the same room that Bee had been in days before. He watched as Starscream reached out for her again slowly, on finger gently caressing her cheek.

"Rather well, I think. Shocked, but not as much as Mikaela. They'll be fine, I think," he replied, looking at Optimus. Optimus watched them, realizing Starscream had a sad look to his face.

"How did this happen, Ratchet? The two of them?" he asked genuinely curious. He wasn't sure how it was possible for the two of them to have fallen for each other. Ratchet shrugged, metal scraping lightly against metal.

"Who knows. It happened, and that is all we really know. But I wouldn't complain, Prime. She managed to turn him around completely. Ever since he found out she and I repaired him, he's been different." he responded, looking back at the two. Mikaela moved again, this time waking up. She cried out his name and reached out for him, grasping his finger. Ratche nudged at Optimus.

"Let's go. Give them time alone."

Optimus looked at his medical officer and nodded, the two of them walking away.

* * *

Mikaela slowly woke up, the feel of slightly warm metal touching her cheek. She moved again, stretching a bit. Her eyes opened slowly as she did so, her vision focusing. The first thing she saw was the bright red of Starscream's optics staring down at her, his finger still touching her face ever so gently. She sat up quickly, wincing slightly as pain shot through her arms, but she ignored it. 

"Star! You're alright!" She exclaimed as she reached out for him, her arms wrapping around his finger, hugging him as best she could. A feeling of overwhelming happiness filled her, causing tears to brim in her eyes. She instantaneously forgot all about anything else, just focused on Starscream in front of her. Starscream felt the same feeling of happiness as he watched her, just glad that she was alright. He opened his hand for her, inviting her to climb on. She did so, folding her legs up underneath her as he raised her up closer to his face. She reached out and touched his cheek with one gauze-covered hand, her fingers brushing gently across the metal. Starscream's optics closed gently and Mikaela smiled, enjoying the strange feeling of satisfaction she got at knowing that she alone could bring out that kind of reaction out from him.

"Miss me much, Star?" She asked teasingly. His optics opened again, but this time revealing a bright blue for a few seconds, then fading back to the red. However, a few blue specks of light showed up every now and then. She found the colors...attractive on him.

"Of course." he said, his voice still deep, but no longer darkened like it had been days before. "You saved me...again, Mikaela..." he said softly, his way of telling her that he knew of what had happened. He watched as her cheeks went red again, feeling her hand drop from his face.

"I...I didn't know what else to do...I panicked..." she responded softly, looking away. Starscream raised his other hand to her, placing his forefinger against her cheek and pressing gently, turning her head to face him. She found herself staring into his bright red optics, feeling as if he were staring right into her soul, melting her with a single look.

"Mikaela...of anyone in this universe...I would not have wanted anyone else." He said softly. Mikaela stared at him, stunned at his words.

"But...I..." she started, her voice trailing off as she felt like she was melting. Starscream shook his head gently.

"Mikaela...you and you alone have managed to change me. Every day you have shown me kindness, dispite who and what I am. I am a Decepticon...someone who cannot be trusted. And yet, you trusted your life with me every day, always coming back to be there for me. And each day...I found myself wanting to see you again. I wasn't sure why at first, until I realized that it is because you have an ability to take away my pain...my anger...my hate...and wash it all away. I wanted the calm feeling you gave me, Mikaela. I was happy around you...and I still am." he explained. Mikaela felt herself melting even more at his words. Her eyes watered a bit as she reached back out to him, her fingers brushing against the metal plate of his cheek ever so gently.

"Star...you make me happy, as well...I don't know how, or why...but there is just something about you that I cannot describe..." She said to him, her voice trailing off as she stared into the bright red of his optics. She felt as if she were losing herself to him...and fast. She tried to control it, and realized that she had lost that battle when she found herself leaning forward. Her lips softly touched metal, sending a shock through both of them. Starscream's optics closed again for a moment, feeling himself falling to her, to her love. Mikaela pulled back after a moment, her face flushed red again. She looked down at her hands.

"Star...I..." She wanted to tell him something, but her voice seemed locked up at the moment. She reached up and began unraveling the bandage from one arm, then did the same to the other arm, revealing the redness and the blisters. Starscream saw the damage that had been caused by him, and while he did feel bad, he honestly wasn't surprised to see it.

"I had a feeling something like that would happen...I am sorry for causing you so much pain..."he said, honestly worried about her. Mikaela laughed lightly.

"Don't worry about it. I did what I felt was right at the time. But...I just..." She paused a moment, the next thought making her blush more. "I just...don't think that we should, um...try that again..." she said, a stupid grin on her face and her cheeks red. Starscream nodded, an idea forming in his head. He lowered her to the ground, where she stepped off. She turned around when she began to hear the sound of metal brushing against metal, gears whirring and twisting, panels folding and sliding into place as he retook his jet form. Mikaela raised an eyebrow, wondering what he was up to. He spoke before she even thought to ask him, his voice sounding disconnected.

"You know..." he said, slow, deliberate footsteps suddenly resounding through the room as they slowly made their way around the jet. "...there ARE ways..." he spoke to her cryptically. Mikaela backed up as she saw a figure coming around the jet. She backed into her bed, worried about this newcomer. The figure walked out from behind Starscream's jet form. A male, tall, thin but well built, fair skin. He wore a black leather trench coat that scraped across the ground slightly, black pants and a light silver shirt that looked as if it were made out of silk. The figure raised his head, long, thick, black, lightly wavy hair sliding back over his face, resting in front of his ears. His hair rested just below the shoulders. His face was just lightly accented by a black goatee and light mustache and a small tribal tattoo of a star on his right temple. He opened his eyes, revealing bright red eyes. Mikaela was completely stunned. She knew those eyes all too well.

"S...Star...?" She asked, barely even able to talk at the moment. Starscream's holoform just walked up to her slowly, stopping right in front of her. He raised a hand, barely touching her cheek with the back of his forefinger as he trailed that finger down her face gently and then down her neck. She closed her eyes for a moment, realizing just how real he felt.

"H...how..?"She stuttered, barely even able to say that much. Starscream leaned in, his lips just centimeters from her ear. Mikaela's breath caught in her throat as she was even able to feel a warm breath across her neck and ear as he spoke quietly to her, his finger raising back up her neck to stop right under her chin.

"I will tell you that later..." he whispered, pulling back for just a moment, staring into her eyes. Then, without warning, he leaned in, his lips touching hers for the first time, being as gentle as he could, not noticing the small tears of happiness welling up and spilling over down Mikaela's cheeks. She slowly raised her arms and wrapped them around him, pulling him to her as he kissed her gently. He did the same to her, pulling her as close as possible into his embrace. He loved her, he knew that now. And he had every intention of showing her just how much...

* * *

_"I wandered through fiction _

_To look for the truth,_

_buried beneath all the lies._

_And I stood at a distance_

_to feel who you are,_

_hiding myself in your eyes..."_

_"And hold on, before it's too late_

_or until we leave this behind..._

_Don't fall, just be who you are..._

_it's all that we need in our lives..."_

_"Now the risk that might break you_

_is the one that would save._

_A life you don't live is still lost._

_So stand on the edge with me,_

_Hold back your fear and see,_

_Nothin' is real til it's gone..."_

_"And hold on, before it's too late_

_or until we leave this behind..._

_Don't fall, just be who you are..._

_it's all that we need in our lives..."_

_"So live like you mean it,_

_And love til you feel it._

_it's all that we need in our lives._

_So stand on the edge with me,_

_Hold back your fear and see,_

_Nothin' is real til it's gone..."_

_"And hold on, before it's too late_

_or until we leave this behind..._

_Don't fall, just be who you are..._

_it's all that we need in our lives..."_

_"And hold on, before it's too late_

_or until we leave this behind..._

_Don't fall, just be who you are..._

_It's all that we need in our lives..._

It's all that we need in our lives...

It's all that I need in my life..."

* * *

END CHAPTER 16!

* * *

((wipes days worth of sweat off forehead.)) Damn...this thing took a LOT of time to write. I had so many ideas going through my head for this chapter...it left me confused at some points. But I finally got it written. Next chapter to be interesting. Yeah, Thundercracker is back...and with company, too. So, no, this isn't over, not by a longshot. ((grins)) And maybe if ya'll are good, you'll get a 'bonus' scene...((GRINS)) 


	17. Chapter 165

FAIR WARNING!

VERY GRAPHIC!

RATING: NC-17.

NOT RECOMMENDED FOR YOUNG READERS.

YOU.

HAVE.

BEEN.

WARNED.

* * *

THIS IS CHAPTER 16.5 OF "ANYTHING FOR A FRIEND", LABLED "BEHIND THE SCENES". IT IS NOT RELEVANT TO THE MAIN PLOTLINE, BUT FOR ADDED SPICE. SO IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ IT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO. 

FIC - "ANYTHING FOR A FRIEND"

TRANSFORMERS MOVIEVERSE.

PAIRING: HOLOFORM-STARSCREAMXMIKAELA

THIS HAS BEEN DONE IN RESPONSE TO SEVERAL REVIEWS TO "ANYTHING FOR A FRIEND: CHAPTER 16 - DISCONNECTED..." AS WELL AS THE IDEA IN MY HEAD ANYWAYS...

CONTINUE DOWN IF YOU WISH TO READ IT.

I AM NO LONGER RESPONSIBLE AFTER THIS POINT, I HAVE POSTED MY WARNINGS...

CHAPTER 16.5 - BEHIND THE SCENES ..

* * *

CREDIT FOR MOTIVATION FOR THIS CHAPTER GOES TO :

"VICTIM" TRAPT _"I want to be...your new victim..."_

* * *

She never thought that their relationship would have ever gotten this far. Never in a million years did she dare think that. But here she was, with Starscream kissing her tenderly. His solidified holoform held her close, his arms around her protectively, possesively. She felt emotions twisting around in her mind, completely overwhelmed at this whole situation.  
His touch was like that of fire and electricity all mixed together. She couldn't bring to words the feelings even if she tried. She wrapped her arms around him, encircling his neck, pulling him closer. Their kiss deepened as she pulled him closer, the both of them feeling the slight beginnings of wanting to be closer...the want and perpetual need to be as one. After a moment she pulled back, becoming painfully aware of the fact that they were in a place where anyone could walk in and see them. She didn't want that. Instead, she had a perfect idea in mind.

"Star...not here..." she said, her voice a whisper as she tried to mask the overpowering emotions she was fighting down. He nodded slightly, brushing his nose gently against hers in a teasing yet very loving manner. He understood what she was trying to say, but he didn't want to let her go. He brushed the tip of his nose gently against her cheek, his lips brushing against hers teasingly. His hands pressed against her back gently, conveying his want to stay with her, to not let go of her.

Mikaela inhaled sharply but softly as he pressed his hands against her, pulling her closer. She knew that he didn't want to let her go, but she knew that it would be best if they did leave. No one would find them where she wanted to go. She felt his lips brush against hers again, and she responded in kind, her own lips forming and pressing back against his. She felt as if she were giving in to him, melting against him. After another moment of blended emotions, she pulled back again, her hands on his shoulders now.

"Star...we need to get out of here..." she whispered again, looking down at first, her cheeks red. After a second she looked back up at him, her eyes resting on his bright red eyes. She felt like her insides were collapsing as she stared into his eyes. Starscream watched her for a moment, then leaned back in, his hands pressing her back against him as his lips connected with hers again. He parted with her just enough for him to ask her a question.

"Why...?" he asked her softly, the breath from his holoform breathing against her lips. Mikaela closed her eyes at the sensation, feeling as if electricity were coursing its way through her body. Her mind screamed at her for them to find somewhere else, but she found that she was unable to move. She was completely taken by him.

"I...the others...what if...?" She stuttered, her mind jumbled as he leaned in and kissed her again for a moment before answering.

"Let them..." he whispered, not caring at this point. He kissed her again, this time deeper than before, his hands drawing her against him even more.

Mikaela gave in, her body quivering in excitement and love for him. She couldn't argue with him anymore. While a part of her still worried about if anyone else walked by, another part of her stopped caring when he said 'let them'. It was like it added an excitement to the air about them that she had never experienced before, and she found herself welcoming it. She moaned softly into his kiss, unable to control herself. She wrapped her arms around him again, pulling him as close to her as she could get him.

Starscream ran through several databases of information in just a few seconds, wanting to make sure he knew what the frag he was doing. He wasn't about to try this with her without making sure he knew. He found some information that he found particularly interesting, and he decided he would find a way to implement it. His right hand slid up her back over her shirt, grazing across the back of her neck, his fingers teasing into her hair. He slid his hand into her hair, fingers clenching at the dark brown strands, pulling gently, but enough to cause just a tinge of pain.

Mikaela pulled back slightly, breaking the kiss, at the same time breathing in sharply as he grasped at her hair, pulling slightly. She had not expected it, but yet...it seemed to fit him. She was more surprised to find that the act actually excited her more. Her heartbeat began to accelerate slowly as she leaned back in and kissed him, putting more pressure behind this kiss than before. Her reaction startled him at first, but he welcomed her response, returning the pressure of her kiss with an equal amount from him. He deepened the kiss, drawing her further in. He took a step forward, causing her to take a step backwards, backing into the medical bed that she had been laying on just a bit before. Nervousness clouded up inside her, but she took that and reformed it into determination to not back down. She reached down and placed a hand on the bed as he caused her to bump into it, then she reached down with her other hand and slipped it underneath the leather of his coat, sliding her hand around to his back and digging her nails in. Starscream pulled back from the kiss in surprise, staring down at her. His surprise was met merely by her look of fiegned innocence, which he didn't believe for a moment. He leaned in again, but didn't kiss her lips this time. Instead, his lips touched her cheek, pressing gently against her skin. He left a trail of slow kisses down her cheek and to her neck, nipping here and there. Mikaela gasped lightly at his teasing and nipping, the sharp, quick nabs of pain rushing through her, driving her wild. Her hand grasped at the bedsheets, her knuckles turning white. Her nails dug in more through his shirt, drawing out a growl from Starscream. His growl enticed her even more, and she found herself raking her hand across his back, hoping to bring more pain and pleasure to him as he was doing to her.

He found himself wanting to just rip off the articles of clothing that she wore, but he knew that she would be upset should he do that. He lowered his hands to the hem of her shirt and pulled up, breaking away from his kisses to her neck long enough to pull it up over her head and toss it to the side. It landed in a small heap on the floor, forgotten almost instantly. He found himself looking at her, staring at the wonder that was before him. He watched as her cheeks turned red and he grinned, reaching out to touch the area on her chest just below her neck. He trailed one finger downward and straight through the middle, teasing her as his finger played across her stomach. He found himself mentally thinking that he was glad that his holoform was able to be solidified. It was something he had worked on for a while now, even before he met her. He looked back up to her, analyzing her facial expressions. She looked nervous, but at the same time, expectant. He leaned in again quickly this time, giving in. His lips caught hers in a deep and passionate kiss, his hands now sliding across her back and pressing her to him. Mikaela breathed in sharply through her nose as he caught her off guard. She was finding herself more and more lost to him the longer he pursued this teasing and promising.

Starscream leaned forward, causing her to fall backwards onto the medical bed. He kept ahold of her, lowering her down so she didn't fall suddenly. His knees were now on either side of her, one hand under her back and the other beside her head, palm on the bed, fingers spread for support. They were still locked in a deep kiss as he slid his hand out from under her back and around to her front, his fingers playing with the button on her pants. He got it undone and he slid his hand back up her stomach, teasing her.

Mikaela felt like she wasn't in her own body as he brought his assault down on her, dominating her, taking her over. She found herself reaching up and pulling at his coat, wanting it off. She watched him as he paused just long enough to pull not only his coat off, but his silken shirt as well, revealing a battlefield of scars across his softly chisled chest. She felt herself breath out slowly, taken aback by how...sexy the scars looked on him. She reached up and touched his skin, still amazed at the reality of his holoform. She trailed her fingers down along one of his scars, watching him. Starscream closed his eyes, leaning his head back slightly, his long black hair falling back over his shoulders. He felt so taken in by her, taken over by her. He looked back down at her, amazed at how things had turned out. He leaned back down, trailing soft kisses down along her chest, his fingers teasing along her skin. His teasing was getting to be too much and she wrapped her arms around him again, pulling him down against her. She leaned her head up so that her lips were against his ear.

"Don't keep me in suspense, love..." she said, her voice a teashing whisper as she struggled to contain herself. She was realizing that he had a way of teasing her in such a way that it was driving her mad. She dragged her nails across his back again, digging in. In response to automatic programming already set up for his holoform, his skin broke open a bit as her nails cut in, appearing to bleed a bit. But the pain was very real to him as he inhaled sharply.

"Dammit, Mikaela..."he hissed, using words he had amassed from his time from being on earth for so long. His face twisted in a combination of pain and pleasure. Mikaela grinned at him, her face displaying her deviousness. He decided this was enough. With a few swift movements, the rest of their clothing now lay in a forgotten pile on the floor, leaving the two of them with nothing save the sheets on the bed they lay on and the air against their skin. He leaned down and kissed her, not holding back as he ran a hand through her hair, having been freed from the ponytail band it had been in.

Mikaela shivered slightly, not out of cold, but out of sheer anticipation. She was nervous and excited all at the same time. She reached back up as he leaned down to kiss her, her hands slipping around behind his back again, pulling him back down on top of her. She returned his kiss with a deep passion, telling him without words how much she was falling in love with him and how much she wanted to be with him, to be a part of him, right here, right now. She gasped as he responded to her voiceless declaration of her needs, her mind flailing as he brought them together with one single move. Her eyes watered as he did so, her nails grasping at his back. He had broke the kiss just enough so that he could watch her reactions. He saw her face twist in slight pain and pure pleasure and he smiled down at her. He leaned down again, nipping at her neck, his body settling into a perfect pace.

Mikaela bit her lip in the face of wanting to cry out, pleasure coursing through her as he moved. Her hands trailed down to his hips and then back up over his back, her body shaking from a mix of different feelings and emotions. Part of her still couldn't grasp what was going on, but another part of her was incredibly happy. She hissed as he suddenly bit down on her shoulder, causing pain, but not drawing blood. Her mind was in a whirl right now. Starscream just had a way with her that no one else had...the fact of who and what he was seemed to make things all the more exciting, almost like it was wrong for her to be doing this, and it raised the excitement even further. It was almost an adrenaline rush mixed with the feelings of pain and pleasure that was driving her higher and higher, towards a point of no return that she gladly flew towards.

Starscream, due to internal spark programming, was able to feel everything that was happening. The pleasure buildup, while very different from their way of things, had very much the same effect. His own mind was beginning to feel foggy and disoriented as feelings and emotions built up, threatening to overload his systems. He fought against making any loud noises, for the possibility that anyone could walk by and hear them. Granted, the door was wide open, but at this point he didn't care.

Over the next half hour they worked themselves up, bringing each other closer to the other through their feelings, through the electricity that seemed to fly between them. Both Mikaela and Starscream fought harder and harder against crying out in pleasure and pain as each either bit or dragged nails. Neither of them wanted this to end, but both could sense they were close...and they were too close to stop now. There was no turning back from this point. Starscream pulled his head back just enough to watch her for a moment, knowing that she was right up there with him.

Mikaela stared back into his eyes, her body threatening to throw her over the edge and into the abyss of the purest pleasure. Her face showed it perfectly, her body shaking as she danced on the edge with him. Starscream fought the feeling, trying to hold back, finding that he couldn't. He leaned down and kissed her deeply right as she closed her eyes, the waves of the purest pleasure appearing as white light behind both of their eyelids as they crashed together. Mikaela couldn't hold back her voice anymore under the strain of the release and she cried out, her voice echoing across the room and down the hall, fading the further it went. She couldn't help it. Wave after wave of electric pleasure racked them both, overloading her mind and his circuts. He heard himself cry out as well as it all hit, mixing with Mikaela's voice, hers still overpowering his voice.

After another moment of being in a limbo of raw power and pleasure, the waves became less intense, finally leaving the both of them gasping, trying to catch their breath. Starscream laid beside her, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close, feeling her still shake from time to time as the last waves finally disapated. She curled up against him, burying her face against his chest, her hands on his chest, palms out. Her breathing slowed and their breathing came into sync with each other as they rested against each other. Her mind was ablaze with the thoughts of what just happened, and she had no regrets...none at all.

Starscream placed his chin on top of her head in a protective way, running his hand gently down her hair, smoothing the frizzies down. He kissed her head gently, feeling nothing but complete love for her. Mikaela smiled softly, knowing that she was where she needed to be.

"Star...if I am dreaming...don't let me wake up..." she said, whispering against his chest. He smiled softly.

"I won't...I promise." he whispered back.

"...I love you, Star..." she said, the words sounding different to her, and yet so right. Starscream pulled his head back a bit and looked down at her, his movement causing her to look up at him. She stared deep into his red eyes, her heart filling even more with love for him. He smiled softly at her, his eyes betraying everything he felt for her.

"I love you, as well, Mikaela..." He whispered, leaning in to give her a tender kiss. "Thank you...for everything..." he said softly, placing his chin on her head again. He reached down and grabbed the blanket, pulling it over them so no one would see them. He wrapped his arm around her again, keeping her safe. Mikaela fell asleep in his arms, falling into the most restful sleep she had ever had. Starscream fell into stasis shortly after, his last thoughts before shutdown being of how happy and at peace he was. He was, finally, home.

* * *

END CHAPTER 16.5

* * *

Okay, for those of you who made it this far, I give you kudos. I hope you all enjoyed!!!!! I know SOME of you will have flipped out about this, probably squeeing all over the place...(giggles)


	18. Chapter 17

Well, it looks as if my muse is coming back...sorry for the delay peoples! Thanks for being patient! (furiously types)

Chapter 17: Reinforce

Thundercracker finally connected the last wires on Shockwave, bringing him out of stasis. A deep gutteral growl emitted from Shockwave as he awoke, pushing Thundercracker aside as he tried to get up. Thundercracker fell backwards onto his aft as he fell down from the force of Shockwave's push.

"Where is Starscream?!" He yelled, finally standing. He glared at Thundercracker with his one glaring yellow optic. Thundercracker stood back, fearing the larger bot.

"He has betrayed us! He fights with the Autobots!" He said, standing back. Shockwave turned to stare at Thundercracker.

"And this comes as a surprise to you, Thundercracker? He is a coward and a traitor, you know this! He has tried to take out our leader Megatron for centuries. Why does it surprise you that he would betray us yet again?"

Thundercracker stared, and just shook his head. "

"N-No, sir."

Shockwave just growled and turned away, looking at the other two that lay on the ground in front of him. How was it that the airborne were unable to avoid ground-force attacks? Perhaps more training was in order. He filed this thought away in the back of his processors and stepped towards Sunstorm, motioning to Skywarp.

"Get to work on Skywarp." He said simply, moving to Sunstorm. They would need all the help they could get if they were going to attempt a counter attack on the accursed Autobots. It would be weeks or months before backup arrived. He bent over Sunstorm, feeling that he would be best equipped to repair the unusual Decepticon, considering that he knew every one of the Seeker's systems and wiring harnesses. He was, after all, Sunstorm's creator...

Thundercracker silently obliged Shockwave, moving to Skywarp and setting to work. He was still nervous about repairing him, considering he wasn't a medic. But it was just the two of them, and asking the Autobot Ratchet for help was FAR out of the question. He sideglanced at Shockwave, watching him work quietly and quickly at Sunstorm's systems, repairing him. He turned back to his wingmate, Skywarp, and returned to his attempts at fixing him. He had a lot of work ahead of him...

* * *

Mikaela had woken up a few hours earlier, and was now sitting outside, staring at the brightly lit stars in the sky. A full day had passed now, and it was about 1 in the morning. She sat on the rock that she had become accustomed to, finding it most comfortable. She sighed and laid back, lacing her fingers together behind her head. Things had changed so much in the past week and a half. She was still reeling from the shock of everything. She had no idea why any of it had come to happen. She had found herself falling for Starscream, even though she had no idea why. But yet as she thought about the events that had happened, she found herself smiling. Even though she felt confused a bit still, she was still finding herself happy.

She had been sitting out there at least an hour more before she noticed the heavy thudding behind her as one of the bots walked up to her. She turned around, seeing Bumblebee coming up behind her. She smiled at him and waited for him to sit down next to the rock she was sitting on. She watched him carefully, noting that Ratchet had repaired the wounds that he had been afflicted with during the battle. _Ratchet always seems to have his work cut out for him_, she thought sadly. _He's not appreciated enough...someone should throw him a thank-you party or something..._she found herself grinning at the thought of Ratchet wearing a little party hat and a plate with a piece of cake on it. She more precisely envisioned the annoyed look on his face as he stood there, cake and all and found herself giggling lightly at the thought. Bee plopped down beside her, making the ground shudder beneath her and creating vibrations through the rock. She looked up at him as he looked down to her.

"Hey, Bee. Feeling better?" She asked, wondering how he was feeling. She knew that Ratchet had been working on his vocal processors, but she didn't know if he had managed to get them completely fixed. His answer surprised her.

"Yes, thank you. I am much better. It is good to have my vocal processors functioning properly at last." He said, his voice kind and gentle. He nodded to her as he spoke, reassuring her. Mikaela grinned at him.

"That's great! I am glad that you can speak again. It must have been hard for you, not being able to speak and all..." she said, readjusting so that she was a bit more comfortable. After a while, the rock tended to get uncomfortable. She noticed Bumblebee nodding to her.

"Yes, it was hard. But coming to this planet, I found a new way to communicate through your planet's worldwide communications systems. You are very creative and lively with your music. Makes for a good way to communicate." He explained, looking at the horizon where the ground met with the sky. The sky was dotted with stars right now, twinkling and shimmering from the interference from the atmosphere. From space, the stars never did that, unless they were VERY far away, where interstellar matter could interfere.

"Well, music is one of the best ways we can communicate. Sometimes we don't know how to say things to others, so we write songs or poetry to tell someone how we feel. It's another way we express ourselves." she said, explaining why the humans had created music. Bee nodded in understanding and agreement, falling silent after that for a bit.

"Mikaela..." Bee started, wondering if he should bring up the topic. "I was wondering something. You and Starscream...how...?" He couldn't bring himself to actually ask. He was wondering how they got together, why things happened the way they did. He was naturally curious, so this seemed to fit into his nature. Mikaela looked at him for a moment, then grinned, then giggled.

"You know...I don't know," she replied, looking up at the stars. "Just something about him...I know he is a Decepticon...and someone of a completely different race...MUCH different...but it's his personality...something about it. He changed from the moment he found out Ratchet and I helped to repair him. It's like he was forced to see something he never allowed himself to see. And ever since then..." She turned and looked at Bee with a grin on her face and a light glint in her eyes from the moon shining above them. Bee analyzed her features, realizing she was, in fact, happy with her choice.

"Do you worry he will hurt you? Betray you, and us?" Bee asked after a moment. Mikaela turned back to the sky, watching as a shooting star fly across the sky, leaving a trail of sparkles behind it. She smiled at it, remembering the first time she saw a shooting star when she was in the field with Starscream a few nights ago when the battle started and remembering the wish she made for it, too. She sighed softly after a moment, opening her mouth to speak.

"Bee, there is a possiblity of anything happening. There is always the possibility of him betraying us, hurting me. But...I have a feeling he won't." she turned and looked at Bumblebee, faith in her eyes. "I made my choice...to trust him, to love him...if eventually I get betrayed for that, then so be it. I want to live in the here and now...not worrying about the future." she said confidently. Bee processed her response for a moment, then nodded.

"I understand. I was just curious. I hope you don't mind." he said finally, standing up slowly. He looked down as Mikaela looked back up at him.

"I know, and I don't mind. I am done hiding my feelings for him...everyone knows, anyway, especially the one person I was most worried about, and he has pretty much given me his blessing. For that, I thank him." she replied, smiling. She spoke of Sam, of course, and Bee nodded, indicating that he knew who she meant.

"I am returning inside. Will you be safe out here by yourself?" he queried, raising a metal eyebrow at her. He nodded back at her when she gave him a quick dip of her head. "Very well. Starscream is still inside, if you choose to talk with him. He is speaking with Optimus right now." Mikaela shook her head.

"No, I am fine for now. I won't interrupt their conversation." she said, not realizing that those two were having a similar conversation inside. Bumblebee nodded and turned, walking back towards the base. Mikaela sighed softly and leaned back against the rock again, lacing her fingers back behind her head. She smiled again, remembering the events that lead up to this moment. She still didn't know how all of this was possible, and the more she thought about it, the more incredible it all seemed. She sighed softly, feeling herself drift off lightly in the warm night air...

* * *

He finally finished repairs on Skywarp, and he stood back, worried that something had gone wrong somewhere. Shockwave had since left after getting Sunstorm repaired. They were both outside, Shockwave running tests on Sunstorm as he had Sunstorm transform and fly about, come back, transform back and so on. Thundercracker, sat down on a small boulder, waiting for his wingmate to come out of stasis. After a few minutes, Skywarp began to move slightly. Thundercracker looked up anxiously.

"Sky?" he asked, worried about him. Skywarp sat up slowly, his hand going to his head as he tried to steady the pixelating vision that ran across his sight.

"Uhh...I feel like a bucket of slag..." he said, moaning in slight pain. Thundercracker let out a relieved laugh. His friend and wingmate would be fine.

"What in the matrix hit me? I remember the fight...but..." Skywarp asked, looking at his wingmate. The blasts that Optimus, Ironhide and Ratchet all together dealt him had created a small lapse in his memory banks. He stared at Thundercracker, just sitting for a minute. Thundercracker laughed.

"Sky, we got our tailfins kicked, hard. I was the only one left...If I hadn't pulled a Starscream, we wouldn't be here right now." Thundercracker explained. Skywarp raised a metal eyebrow at his wingmate.

"A Starscream? What, did you run from battle? Attack Shockwave?" he asked moving to sit up straighter, curious. Thundercracker stifled a laugh.

"Heh, no, you really think I could take on Shockwave by myself? You must have really been hit hard if you got knocked for that much of a loop." he said, grinning at Skywarp. Skywarp just reached over and smacked his friend lightly on the arm.

"Heh, thanks. Where's Sunstorm and Shockwave?" He asked, looking around, not seeing them. Thnudercracker pointed down a hallway of the cave network.

"Outside. Soundwave finished repairs on Sunstorm and he is running tests on him." He replied, standing up. "We had better get out there. Soundwave is gonna get pissed if he he thinks I still haven't gotten you online." Thundercracker finally said, holding out a hand to Skywarp. Skywarp looked up at him and grabbed his hand, accepting the support from his wingmate. He stood, still a bit dizzy, but recovering. Occasional pixelization streaked across his vision as his systems began to take over and make the final minor repairs. Thundercracker guided him out of the cave network, Skywarp relying less and less on him as his systems repaired the final minor damage. By the time they got out of the cave network he was fully reliant on himself.

Outside, Sunstorm was flying up above, making turns and twists as Shockwave ran the final tests. He barely nodded an aknowledgment as Thundercracker approached him.

"Shockwave, Skywarp is functional." he said, informing their leader of Sky's condition. Barely a nod for a response; he was more interested in his creation and making sure that Sunstorm was functional. Thundercracker passed a disheartened glance at his wingmate, who stood nearby giving him the same look. It was only after Sunstorm landed that Shockwave turned to Thundercracker and Skywarp.

"I want you three to go and get the human female. She is of use to me. The Autobots won't dare attack one of us if we have her in our position." He said simply, obviously having thought this over. Sunstorm made a noise that sounded like a snicker.

"Heh, of course, I wouldn't say the same about Starscream..." he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Shockwave turned to him instantly.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he demanded, his one eye glaring at his creation. Sunstorm winced under his glare.

"I saw Starscream land at one point with the girl in his hands. He set her down near the doors to their base. He took off after that. The damned female refused to shoot at him, and she even turned on one of her own kind when the male started firing on the both of us." He replied, inching away from Shockwave. There was no expression to be seen on Shockwave's face, but the tone in his voice suggested he was interested.

"Really? So, the female cares for the traitor...and the traitor seems to feel for the human female. What a weakness." he said, beginning to laugh darkly. He really found this information amusing...and useful. They could get not only the Autobots but the traitor to the Decepticon cause as well. He liked it. "Starscream has gone soft...FAR too soft. It is time to end his suffering. Go, get the female. We will strike back...and it will be on our terms, our turf." His bright yellow optic dimmed as his processors began clicking and whirring faster, plans forming in the back of his mind. The three seekers looked at each other, then nodded, transforming and taking off, their afterburners streaking through the sky, seeming to rip the air apart with flames...

* * *

End chapter 17.

Thank you for being patient with me. My plotbunnie had to run off to find another plotbunnie...one returned and I grabbed a hold of it. And here we go again! Hurray! It is coming close to an end, though...I can feel it...


	19. Chapter 18

Musical inspiration: "Burning Bright", "Fly from the Inside", "I dare you" Shinedown, "Lost Realist", "Influence" Trapt

Chapter 18: For Argument's Sake

"But she's human, Starscream!"

Starscream had his back turned to Optimus Prime, who was displaying his dislike of the situation. While he kept it in check this whole time, it seriously bothered Optimus to no end. He had finally decided to confront Starscream about it while Mikaela was not around. He didn't want her to worry more than she needed to. Starscream whirled around to face Optimus, his red optics flashing brighter.

"Does it really matter??" he asked, exasperated, his voice raised just a bit. "Mikaela was the first to show me kindness outside of YOUR orders, Prime. She was kind to me because she wanted to be. She saved my life because she wanted to. She didn't run in fear from me. For those things, I care deeply for her, and Matrix be slagged if I am going to walk away from her because of who -or what- she is!" He finished, his voice raising more. Optimus stood there for a moment, stunned at the Decepticon's words. He hadn't realized just how much Starscream truely felt for the human girl. Starscream walked past him, pausing only a brief moment as their shoulders brushed.

"Who are you to decide who falls in love with who?"

Optimus, for once, didn't have an answer.

* * *

Mikaela had fallen asleep on the rock, having been worn out from the past couple day's events. Her arms were still sore, wrapped up in the same gauze. She currently had her hands laced behind her head, her hair spilling out on either side of her head as she slept. Her head was turned to the side, the muscles in her body and neck completely relaxed. Her chest rose and fell softly as she rested, drawing in fresh air into her lungs, her body cycling it through her. She had no idea that she was being stared at by three Decepticons at the moment. The three of them looked at each other, debating quietly and quickly how to take her without waking her...or if she had to be woken up, how to take her while she was still groggy enough to not know the difference. Thundercracker and Skywarp looked at Sunstorm. 

"What?" he hissed quietly, not liking their looks. Thundercracker gestured to him hurridly.

"You took an alt form identical to Starscream. She'll trust you. Try not to wake her too much. We need her to stay as much asleep as possible." he said, looking between Sunstorm and the sleeping form of Mikaela. Sunstorm shook his head.

"Are you off your bolts, Thunder? If we're right and the fragging traitor and her care for each other...she will know the difference either way!" replied incredulously. He was not happy about them telling him that he had to take her. Skywarp shrugged.

"Then get her and lets go! If she can tell the difference, it doesn't matter who does it...but to her, your armor will feel the same. Same dimensions and everything. It is more familiar to her than either of us, 'Storm." Skywarp said, raising a hand towards Mikaela, palm up. Sunstorm sighed and regarded Mikaela in silence for a moment. What was it that his brother saw in her? She was human. There was no way anything like that would have happened. But, all the same, Shockwave had issued the order. Get her and come back to the base.

"Fine...but you two owe me.." he said, bending down to gently prod her with one finger, testing. Mikaela giggled in her sleep and rolled over onto her side, her arms coming together in front of her, her hands up near her head. Her knees drew up just a bit, so she was in a very relaxed fetal position. Sunstorm sighed softly and then proceeded to gently take her, lifting her off of the rock.

"Th..nk...you...Star..." she mumbled in her sleep, remotely aware of the familiar armored fingers that lifted her up. Sunstorm winced slightly as she spoke, and he paused. Looking at Skywarp and Thundercracker, he saw them both nod in encouragement. He closed his other hand over her, much the way a human would hold a butterfly, trapped between hands, one cupped over the other. The other two seekers ingited their burners and took off, their engines loud. Startled, Sunstorm looked back down, raising his hand a bit to see her stirring only slightly, mumbling something incoherently. He closed his hand again, then fired up his own burners, taking off slowly at first, then gaining speed as he went along. The small human female was deep in her sleep, a good thing, too. She would not have been fooled by Sunstorm's appearance. While their energy signatures were almost identical, there was still the issue with the fusion core energy leaking off of him. While drastically reduced because of his new cannon, there was still a chance of damage to organics. As he got higher, he increased speed, heading back to their base, keeping her close to him so that she wouldn't wake up from the windshear.

* * *

Something didn't feel right. He could feel it deep down, something wasn't adding up. He sighed as he watched Sam and Simmons playing a cardgame on the table as he sat in the mess hall. They were throwing cards into a small pile one by one, and then, occasionally, they would both try to slap their hands down onto the pile of cards. This last time, Simmons had gotten his hand slapped hard by Sam, but apparently, it was worth it. He got the pile of cards and the game started over. He stood up and wandered out, paying no mind to their human friends for the moment. He made his way out of the base, wanting to confirm that everything was alright. Everything appeared to be just fine. What he didn't notice, or pick up on his scanners, was the three fading lights in the distance behind him. He looked around, scanning the immediate area, finding nothing out of the ordinary. He sighed and turned around, only to see Optimus walking out of the base looking annoyed. He waited until Optimus was closer. 

"Is something wrong?" He asked quietly, not getting an answer right away. Optimus sighed softly, air rushing out of his vents.

"I just don't get it..." he said heavily. Ratchet raised a heavy metal eyebrow questioningly.

"Optimus?"

"Mikaela. Starscream. How?" he asked, confused. "I have kept my questions in check, but no more. How, Ratchet?"

Ratchet let him rant, knowing that there were still many things that none of them knew about, and none of them had answers to. This, unfortunately, was one of them. He wished he did know the answers, but...he stood next to Prime, staring out at the expanse of the desert, wondering why himself.

"Optimus. I can't answer those questions. All I _do_ know is that it did happen. Why should we question it if those involved are happier for it?" he finally replied, looking at Optimus, who turned his gaze to meet that of his medical officer. He stared at Ratchet for a time, then turned away. He knew that it wasn't right for him to question it, but it still bothered him. Maybe it was because Starscream is a Decepticon, he had no idea. But then again...the fact that he is a Decepticon seemed to be fading. He sighed softly, shaking his head.

"You're right, Ratchet. I shouldn't be questioning it. They ARE happier for what has happened." he said. He turned around after a moment, looking back at the base. "Ratchet...what would you think if...we used this place as our base? Our home? I have been giving it a lot of thought...with a little readjustments...it would work." he asked, still looking at the base. Ratchet looked at him, his curiousity piqued.

"Our...home? Base?" he inquired, watching Prime closely. He nodded.

"Yes." he looked at Ratchet, a serious look on his face. "I wanted to ask you before I ask the others. I am sure that they will find this an exceptional idea."

Ratchet stood there for a moment, thinking about it. It was a rather sudden idea, but he rather liked the idea of being able to have somewhere where they could transform and not have to worry about anything. The government had already said that if they could find a place that was secluded, they would approve and then run supplies there.

"It...sounds like a good idea. To be able to have a stable location...I like it." he said at last, looking at Optimus with approval. "I say we go for it."

Optimus regarded his medical officer for a moment, and then turned back to the stars, watching as they twinkled and glittered in the night sky. It was all the reassurance he needed.

* * *

She woke slowly several hours later to the sound of hushed voices echoing around her. The echoing confused her, as did the voices. Last she knew, she had been outside falling asleep to the stars above her and the warm air blanketing her. She focused on the voices. One sounded familar, but not _quite_ it. She opened her eyes, her vision still blurry. 

"Star...? Is that you?" she managed to get out groggily. No answer. Just the hushed voices. She grumbled to herself, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes, trying to clear her vision. She blinked once, twice...and stared at her surroundings. She was no longer outside, but infact inside...in a cave. She looked around more, finding that she was in fact located on the ground. She placed her hands on the ground and pushed herself up, standing up. She wobbled to the left a bit, then steadied herself. She was confused and getting worried more and more by the second. She still heard the hushed voices and followed them, finding herself taken down a hallway. She rounded the corner and then immediately ducked back, recognizing the black F-117 as it stood in its bipedal form. _Thundercracker, _she thought to herself. She had seen two others in a similar shape, and another one, larger, with only one optic. She didn't want to know what was going on, and frankly, she didn't want to know. But like it or not, she was stuck in here and had no way of getting out. Or at least, she didn't know which way to go. She peeked around the corner again warily, curious as to what was going on. Her movements did not go unoticed, though, as the one with the single eye locked on to her, and pointed.

"Thundercracker, I thought I told you to keep that human away!" he yelled at Thundercracker, his voice threatening. The black jet turned around, along with the other two jets and all three of them advanced on her. She turned tail and ran back to the central chamber that she had originally been. She stumbled over a rock and nearly fell, but she managed to catch her balance mid-stride. She headed for a small pillar off to the side and hid behind there, afraid._ How in the hell are they fixed?!_ she thought to herself, her breath rasping lightly as she fought to catch her breath. The jets appeared in the archway of the cave's hallway, the first one surprisingly not Thundercracker. Instead, it was actually one that looked like Starscream, but there was a slight yellowish-gold tint to it. Skywarp and Thundercracker tried pressing past the first one, but he raised a hand.

"Wait!" Sunstorm hissed at his wingmates. He knew Thundercracker would not be amused, but he shrugged it off. He walked slowly up to the pillar where Mikaela was hiding behind. He peeked around the corner and promptly earned a loud squeak and her jumping backwards away from the pillar. Sunstorm backed away from the pillar and looked at her. Thundercracker looked at Sunstorm, then to Skywarp, then back at Sunstorm. He sighed as he stood there, watching his wingmate 'play' with their captive. Sunstorm sat down and watched her, not making any more moves to her. He looked up at Thundercracker and saw the annoyed look he had on his face and ingnored it, looking back at the little fleshling. Thundercracker crossed his arms and stood there. Skywarp watched from behind Thundercracker. Sunstorm watched the little fleshling, highly entertained.

Mikaela was currently flattened up against the wall, looking for a way out. Her fingers searched along the cracks and crevaces, hoping to find a way out. But to no avail. Her heartbeat was going a thousand miles an hour. She knew that she was in Decepticon company, and she wasn't thrilled.

"Wh-what do you want?" she asked feebly, her voice shaking. Thundercracker laughed.

"You are a part of the Autobots...one of the Autobot's friends...and you ask WHY we have you?? Heh. More importantly...the Autobots have someONE we want back." he said, glaring darkly at her. "Or is it that YOU have him? Hm? I think you should explain your actions, human."

Mikaela swallowed. _They know?!?_ No...it isn't possible...she needed more information.

"What...what do you mean by that?" She asked, trying to straighten up a bit, but saw the figure of Sunstorm in front of her and shrank back. Thundercracker walked up and leaned down so his face was almost in front of hers, his red optics glaring at her. It didnt' surprise her that she was able to actually read emotions from behind those optics...and it wasn't the kind she wanted to see. She flattened herself even more against the wall, trying to make herself invisible. It didn't work.

"Starscream. We know what is up with you two. However, he is not the sole reason we took you." He said, refusing to divulge any more information. Mikaela stared at him, defiant. She was not about to reveal whatever it was they wanted to know, and the less they knew about her and Starscream, the better.

"Why do you say that? What proof do you have, anyway?" She asked, dignant. Thundercracker made a noise, almost like he huffed at her.

"I am the one asking the questions here, human-"

"Then I am not giving any answers." She retorted, cutting him off. She crossed her arms, staring at him, refusing to look away. She would stare back at him all day if she needed to. She wasn't about to back down. Thundercracker growled at her, but she still didn't move. He eyed her for another few moments, then turned around, signaling to Skywarp.

"Sunstorm, stay with the human. She talks, get me. Skywarp, you're with me." He said flatly, heading out. That human was infuriating, he decided, but at the same time he found himself admiring her courage. He hadn't found many humans with that trait. He wasn't about to say that he admired her courage, no way. But she was still infuriating. _Maybe that's what Starscream sees in her..._ he mused as he walked out the door, leaving Mikaela to stare after him, worried about what would happen to her...though she was more worried about her friends...Optimus, Ratchet, Ironhide, Bee...Starscream, of course, Sam and even Simmons...she was worried for them all...

* * *

End Chapter 18.

* * *

Okay, sorry all for the lateness...I have been really busy lately, an RP has been taking up a lot of time, and also I was on vacation for a week with VERY limited access to a computer. But anyways...there is more to come, I already have it written down, just gotta type it! 


	20. Chapter 19

Mikaela stood still as Thundercracker and Skywarp walked out of the room. She had no idea what to think. She was worried and her mind was going to overtime to try and find a way out of this situation. She looked around, her gaze resting on the yellow/gold Decepticon before her. She froze, realizing he was staring at her. She stared back along the same eyesight, staring back into his optics. They weren't red like the others, instead they were a bright yellow. She waited to see what he would do, but after several minutes of agonizing silence, she began to realize that he wasn't going to start pounding on her or something. For several minutes more, neither of them said anything. It was like this for a good ten minutes before she finally broke the silence.

"..M..mind if I sit down? My feet hurt..." she asked carefully, waving a hand out just a bit as she spoke, then letting it fall back down to her side. The gold Decepticon regarded her for a moment, then nodded, not moving other than that. Mikaela allowed herself to slump against the wall, sliding down and finally sitting down. She kept an eye on him, finding herself studying him. She realized with a start that his armor was actually an exact match to Starscream's, save for the yellow/gold tint to this one's armor. The likeness alone was enough to rouse her curiosity, and she debated asking about it...until she finally gave in.

"So...why do you look like Starscream?" she asked slowly, being careful with her words, not wanting to give the impression that she was going to talk. The yellowish decepticon that Thundercracker had called Sunstorm looked at her, watching her, wondering why she was curious.

"...Why do you want to know?" he asked, countering her question with one of his own. Mikaela shrugged lightly.

"Um...would curious be a good answer?" she replied, watching him. When he didn't answer, she sighed and gave in. "Your armor...it looks exactly like Starscream's...except for the yellow tint. I was just curious." she said. Sunstorm regarded her for a moment, then spoke again.

"He's...my brother." he said sourly. Mikaela raised an eyebrow.

"You...your brother?? Like a twin?"

Sunstorm shook his head.

"No...well...not exactly. I'm...a clone of him..." he replied, his voice even more bitter. Mikaela could tell that there was something there, and she wondered just how much he actually hated the fact. She didn't say anything in regards to that, though. She had a feeling that it was a touchy subject.

"So um..." she started to ask him something, but realized that she had forgotten his name. She grinned a bit. "Um...what was your name again...?" she asked sheepishly, squinting at him slightly. Sunstorm stared at her, his optics blinking at her.

"My...my name? My designation? They call me Sunstorm." he said, a half-smile coming to his face. Mikaela saw this and smiled a bit at that.

"'Sunstorm'...it's pretty...kinda mysterious." She said, nodding. She spoke the truth. To her, it DID sound mysterious. But she didn't realize just how much it represented him. She was surprised when he continued talking to her.

"Yeah, well...more dangerous than anything," he said, and continued. "It represents who I am...what I am..." he finished, taking a few steps back over towards the other side of the cavern. Mikaela tilted her head at him.

"W-what do you mean?" She asked, curious and shocked that he was still talking to her. Sunstorm looked at her raising an optic ridge.

"Curious human, aren't you?" He asked, watching her. Mikaela shrank back a bit, but still watched him, still inately curious about him. He seemed...different than the other fliers. Something about him...she couldn't put a finger on it. She shook her head.

"Sorry...I just..." she started, but gave up when he shook his head.

"Don't worry. I am not going to hurt you. I am surprised you are speaking to me. You have much courage. For that, you deserve a response." he said quietly. He closed his optics. "My name...is who I am. Inside my frame is what you humans would call a nuclear fusion core. It is my energy source. It is unstable at times, and I am constantly fighting to control it, to regulate it. It is a neverending battle, and it has pretty much become second nature to me, always rerouting systems to control the fluctuations." He made a small mechanical sound, much like a small sigh, and opened his optics, staring into Mikaela's shocked face. She may have been shocked that he was talking back to her, but _telling her about himself?_ THAT is what shocked her the most. She blinked at him, staring wide-eyed at him.

"Why..?" she started, then shook her head. "I mean...a fusion core? Isn't that...dangerous?" she asked, watching him as he took one step, then another, slowly pacing around the cavern.

"It could be...Though I have been creating ways of containing the overflow of energy...creating a fusion cannon to syphon it off. Shockwave doesn't even know about it yet. I have been working on it for a while..." he said, watching the ground in front of him as he paced. After a moment he stopped and looked at her.

"What is up with Starscream?" he asked suddenly, catching her off-guard. She blinked in surprise at him.

"...what?" She had a growing suspicion as to what he was asking about, but she kept her mouth shut on it.

"What is with him? He fights with you all now. It's not like him." Sunstorm explained. Mikaela breathed a silent breath of relief. _Good...not what I thought he was talking about..._she thought to herself.

"Oh, that...well...we saved him. He was heavily damaged. Ratchet and I...we repaired him. Ever since then...he seems different. He says..." she paused a moment, wondering if Sunstorm would get Thundercracker if she said anything. He watched her for a moment.

"Says what?" he asked, prodding gently, not even thinking about Mikaela shook her head, of course not knowing he wasn't thinking of Thundercracker.

"While I am surprised that you seem to enjoy talking to me...I won't..." she paused again, not wanting to reveal any further information that could possibly put her friends in danger. She stared at him, watching him, wondering what he would do. He just stood there, wondering the same thing about her.

"Won't what?" he asked. Mikaela shook her head. No way was she betraying her friends, and her love. No way in hell.

"No."

He was getting a bit irritated by this. Why would she not reveal anything else? She stopped right before saying anything...Unless...Perhaps Thundercracker was right? He watched her for a moment, analyzing her reactions, when it occured to him her arms were wrapped in a white cloth. He lifted a large metal hand and pointed at her.

"What is wrong with your arms?" he asked slowly, curious. If they were burned...and in the way that he thought... Mikaela shook her head and held an arm out a bit.

"Heh, this? Nothing. Got burned in the battle..." she answered. Which, of course, _was_ the truth, but she wasn't gonna tell _how _exactly her arms had been burned. The gold-colored mech stared at her, curiousity rising.

"May I see?" _come on...come on..._ Mikaela, looked at him for a moment, wondering if he would know the difference. Had he ever seen what a Sparkburn did to a human's flesh? Well...if she didn't show him, it would show she was hiding it. If she did show him, and he recongized it...she was in trouble anyway. She sighed softly and began unraveling her bandages. She concentrated on her arms as Sunstorm's optics go a bit wider. He analyzed the burn marks as she unraveled them, and found the pattern consistant in several ways, even to their own burns. When the last of the gauze was removed, she looked back up, her eyebrows furrowing at the look on Sunstorm's face. Her gut went cold, and she began to wonder if she made a mistake. _If I hid it, he would have known anyway...remember that..._she took a shaky breath.

"W-what?" she asked, worried. Sunstorm took a couple of steps towards her, kneeling down to her, his face leveling with her.

"You are bonded to him, are you not?" he asked flatly, watching her reactions very closely, down to the dialation of her pupils when he asked that. She shifted nervously, and forced herself to crack a smile, even under the severe intimidation that Sunstorm presented.

"Umm..B-bonded?" she asked, her voice cracking. She swallowed, her mouth and throat dry. She randomly wished there was some water there, but as she took a quick glance around, she saw nothing and sagged just a bit. She looked back up at Sunstorm, feeling as if she were under a proverbial thumb and being pressed down. She hated the feeling. Sunstorm just watched her.

"Yes, Bonded. Your arms show similar patterns to what we know. Consistant, all around burn, until the edges." He pointed at her upper arm, indicating the small squiggly lines that would have been left by crackles of energy left trailing along her skin too long. "And that, is a discharge burn. The trailing edges are telltale." he explained, his voice almost too calm. It frightened her, to be honest. She found herself glancing down at her arms, raising one hand to the other arm, fingers tracing the lines of the burns. She sagged just the smallest amount, but not really noticable. She sighed.

"And if I did? You gonna tell the others?" she asked, looking back up at him.

"Yes. Information such as this is vital." he answered back, his voice cold. Mikaela looked down at her arms again, then after a moment, looked back up.

"Let me ask you something..." she started, watching him carefully. He merely tilted his head just a fraction, listening to her. "What IS your reason for fighting?"

"It's what I was programmed to do." he responded without a hitch. Mikaela shook her head.

"No, ingore the programming. What is YOUR reason for fighting?" she asked again, changing where she placed the inflection in her sentance, hoping it would come out differently. Apparently it worked, because this time, he paused. And waited.

Still nothing.

The look on his face told her that he was actually debating this, and she took the opportunity to strike again.

"If you aren't sure...then why fight? Your kind have been fighting for a very long time, and yet you are still in the same boat as when this started. Isn't it time to relax? Time to just walk away? Get away from the battles, the death of your friends...stop the war...?" She asked him softly, watching him as she stood there. His head tilted a bit more, his own face furrowing in thought. She made sense, alright, and that was something that bothered him. He watched her for a bit more, then stood back up and walked out of the cavern. Mikaela slumped against the wall, feeling drained. She didn't know if he would go and tell the others, and if he did...

She didn't want to think about it.


	21. Chapter 20

"I SAID SHE IS GONE! DID YOU NOT HEAR ME!?"

Optimus stood quietly, optics dimmed, as the enraged voice of Starscream rang through his processors.

"Starscream, yelling is not going to get her back any sooner. I would suggest calming down a bit." He looked at Starscream, gaze calm and unwavering. Starscream HATED that with a passion...that calm stare. He began pacing.

"You want me to calm down. Are you serious?" He paced back and forth in the mess hall, anxious, worried and annoyed. Mikaela was missing, and had been for a few hours. It was just past dawn now, the colors of the rising sun painting the sky outside in colors of red, gold and purple, fading slowly to blue. He couldn't help the pacing...it kept him from blowing something up. Optimus just watched him, allowing him to pace, knowing it kept him somewhat calmer.

"Yes, I am serious. We need to think here. Who would have taken her?" He asked calmly, replaying the last big battle in his memory processors.

"Um, gee, let's think here, Prime. There are four other Cybertronians on this planet. WHO DO YOU THINK?!?!" He snapped back, highly annoyed. Optimus closed his optics for a bit.

"I am aware of that. What I mean is - "

"Shockwave is the one in charge. He would have issued the order for her to be taken." He growled, his fist clenching and unclenching as he paced. He was ready to slam his fist into the wall, and Optimus saw this.

"Starscream, let's go outside...Come on." He said, waving his arm in his direction to get his attention and to get him outside. Starscream regarded him for a moment, and then grudgingly followed. Once outside, he paced more, finally slamming his fist down into a rock, splitting it into 3 pieces...not to mention the smaller shards and dust from it. Optimus watched him, having a small feeling of what it was like, to lose someone you cared about.

"...Starscream...we'll get her back..." His voice was softer now, reassuring. Starscream looked at him, worry clouding his expression, and seeming to seep into those bright red optics, now dimmed with an emotion not normally shown by the Seeker...fear.

"We are talking about Shockwave, Optimus. That mech is more sadistic than I am...there's no telling what he will do to her...and if he finds out that..." his hand raised unconsciously to his chest, right over the outer armor over his spark casing. If Shockwave found out that they had been bonded, he had a feeling that the other mech would have much enjoyment in exploiting that fact. He had to do whatever he could in order to keep that fact from Shockwave. Optimus studied him for a moment, then nodded.

"I know...we need to find her. And fast."

Starscream just looked at him, then looked to the sky.

_Bonded...

* * *

_

She had been laying on her back, sleeping fitfully, twitching and turning every so often. She never heard the gold seeker return, but he was there now, sitting, watching her. He watched as her tiny human chest rose and fell with each breath she took, her arms moving and twitching. She kept talking about Starscream in her dreams, and he was somehow glad that he managed to keep Shockwave and the others out of there. He shifted, the metal plating of his armor shifting around a bit, making small grinding noises. The sound pulled Mikaela out of her sleep, and she bolted awake, calling out for Starscream, using her nickname for him. But the moment she did that, she remembered where she was at, and clasped her hands over her mouth. She hadn't yet seen the mech that was sitting near her, and she slowly turned around to see if there was anyone that might have heard her. The moment she saw the other seeker her face went pale. She turned back around slowly, her eyes closed.

"...Shit..." It was all she could say at the moment, instantly regretting saying anything. She heard the other move again behind her as he shifted again, tilting his head slightly. He didn't say anything, but he was curious. She brought a hand to her face and rubbed, massaging the sore muscles in her face, rejuvenating it. After a moment, she turned back around and faced the gold seeker, just staring at him. He stared back, wondering what she wanted. They stared at each other a long time before either spoke.

"..So did you tell them?" Short and to the point. Might as well not beat around the bush. Her breath hung in the air for a brief moment until, surprisingly, he shook his head no. Her eyes widened.

"You...you didn't?"

Sunstorm merely shook his head.

"Why not?" She was definitely surprised at this. She had honestly thought that, in the end, he was going to go and tell the others about her arms, and the markings that were left there. It was priceless information. Why the HELL would he not go and tell them? She waited as he sat there for a bit.

"Because you make sense."

Mikaela blinked slowly at that, staring at him incredulously, not sure what to say. Finally, after a few moments of silence, the gold mech spoke again.

"You make sense. This war has brought nothing...nothing at all. I have processed this and realized you are right." He spoke quietly. Mikaela stared in shock over this. This was truly something she had not expected. How was it her words alone could get someone to changed their thoughts? She had done it with Starscream...and he now fought with the Autobots to try and get the war to stop. She stood up, wincing as one of her bandages around her arm pinched wrong. She looked down at it and fumbled with it, unraveling the gauze wrappings halfway and then rewrapping it, making it more comfortable.

"Sunstorm...why...why don't you talk to the others? Who else would really begin to see this? To see that the war needs to end?" she asked, her face showing actual interest in the idea of the war ending. She tilted her head at him and watched him, waiting for any kind of sign. After a moment, he shifted slightly, his intakes making a soft hissing noise as he sighed.

"I do not know if any of them would be partial to the idea of ending the war," he said slowly, watching her. He had thought about it, though. He had spent about 4 hours pacing, flying and making rounds near the base, just thinking about everything. He wanted to see the war end, now that he thought about it. Mikaela gave him a look.

"You should ask. Talk to one that you trust the most, then go from there." She said gently, looking up at the other. She still found it eerie that he looked almost exactly like Starscream, save for the coloring. She shook her head lightly. "You really sh-"

Her words were interrupted by Thundercracker coming around the corner, large metal feet thudding across the floor, causing small shockwaves to reverberate through the floor of the cavern and up the walls, until the vibrations softly intersected at the top and crossed, resounding back down along the walls continuously until the vibrations faded within a matter of seconds. His optics seemed to glare a very angry red, more so than before. She slinked back against the wall just as he entered, his height and harsh edges that made up his body creating a very imposing figure. She found herself staring up at him as he came to a stop and turned to Sunstorm.

"Has she released any information yet?" He growled out, his red optics flaring at her glaringly. She steeled herself and stared right back at him, not backing down. She waited, her face covered with a look of determination and nervousness, afraid that Sunstorm would just break down and tell Thundercracker.

"No."

That answer made her want to stare at the golden seeker with a look of pure shock, but she refrained. She knew any shocked look would give his lie away. _Sunstorm_, she thought, _I owe you_. She stared right back at the black form of Thundercracker. He stared at her, his face crossed with several emotions, most of them hate and disgust. He turned to Sunstorm.

"Hnn...really now?" He sneered at him, leaning forward to stare down the other Seeker. The only thing that happened as far as Sunstorm was concerned was his wings twitched slightly, a mere sign of annoyance. Sunstorm stared right back at Thundercracker, a low growl filling his frame.

"Yes. Really." He glared back, his optics betraying nothing that would reveal the truth. Just a dark, red-lit stare right back at the other seeker. Moments passed as each stared at each other, neither trusting of the other. Such was the Decepticon way. Anyone could betray anyone. But this time, Sunstorm prevailed in his fight, and Thundercracker backed down finally, growling darkly as he backed off.

"Fine. The moment she says something useful, get me." With that he whirled, creating a soft breeze that wafted through the cavern, sifting through Mikaela's hair and messing with it slightly. Other than that, she didn't move as Thundercracker thudded back down the hall, each step resounding softer than the last. Mikaela looked at Sunstorm, and smiled softly.

"Thank you...Sunstorm."

"Do not worry yourself over that. I am merely waiting on the correct time to inform him."

Mikaela grinned at that, knowing better, but she didn't say anything. She would rather keep her words on the subject, than press the matter further. She watched as Sunstorm stood up, and then headed out, making similar resounding sounds across the hall of the cavern as he disappeared. He was one of the quiet types, she decided. She leaned back and let her head rest against the cool rock behind her, then slid back down to the floor and just sat there. She reached down to the floor and splayed her fingers across the tiny crevices and groves in the floor of the cavern. _So many scars_, she thought, _even though this place was once never touched by anyone until recently_. She traced a finger across one of the small lines, finding herself getting lost in thought. Her thoughts took her back to the Autobot base, back to Optimus, Sam and the others...and back to Starscream. Her eyes welled up at the thought of him, and she wrapped her arms around herself. She bit back the sensation in the back of her throat, threatening to force it's way to her eyes and force out the tears that were held on the brink. She shook her head. She would not cry. She missed him, yes, but she would get through this. She would see him again.

Of that much, she was certain.

* * *

Thundercracker paced back and fourth in the smaller cavern that he had claimed as his own room for the time being, thoughts racing through his processors that he normally kept very well hidden from everyone else. Of the entire war, he had never been more bored. More distracted. Ever since Megatron had disappeared, he had wandered, still following the Decepticon banner, and yet, his wanderings still felt aimless. He had always wondered why he had continued to follow it. Was it the feeling of actually being useful? Was it the feeling of being in control? Over the millenia, he had been coaxed very gently and quietly into staying with the Decepticon cause. Control. It was what he ultimately desired. Or was it? He paced more, growling to himself. He wasn't exactly sure that they should even be here. What had this war turned into? It seemed like a simple game of cat and mouse nowadays, the Decepticons chasing the Autobots like cats chasing mice, never satiated with the catch, always needing that cruel endless cycle. The chase, the capture, the destruction. Then there was nothing, and the cat needed another chase. _What happens when the mice are all gone..?_ he found himself musing. _What do we do then? Who or what do we chase? Or do we find a new pastime..?_ He paused at his own thoughts. A pastime. Was that all this war was anymore? Just a pastime? Just something fun to do? He shook his head as he paced again. Too many died because of this so-called pastime. He paused at the back wall of the cavern, and placed a large metal hand against it. He looked up at it, staring at the shadows that his hand made against the wall. He had gone through and installed soft lights in each of the rooms previously, but his only had a couple, making the room have a dark air to it. Not a heavy air, just a dark and mysterious feel to it. It was how he liked it. 

Right now, his hand seemed small and insignificant against that wall, even though it was, in reality, rather large. He could push, but that wall would not give in. He could punch, but only a bit would chip away. He sighed, his intakes whirring softly as he did so. Control. He was never in control, no matter how much he led himself to believe it. He wanted control, yes. But not over the universe, not over a planet or race. No, he wanted that control..but over his own life. Ever since joining the Decepticons, he _felt_ like he had been in control, but he never _was_ in control. There was always someone on the outside, forming and molding reality to make it seem like he had perfect control of everything in his life. He was slowly beginning to realize that he didn't. The past few weeks leading up to their planet fall and afterwards just proved as much. _At least Megatron knew how to work the strings, and do it right at that, so I never noticed,_ he thought to himself.

He pulled his hand away from the wall and turned around, leaning against it and crossing his arms. These were thoughts that he generally kept to himself, never wanting anyone else to know how he truly felt about all of this. He would rather pretend he still had control than show anyone he had doubts. He found himself wondering if anyone had the same thoughts...besides Starscream.

He put himself into such a deep thought process that his sensors didn't even register Sunstorm's appearance at the entrance of his little cave.

"Thundercracker."

His head jerked up and his optics flared as Sunstorm's voice bit the air and through his thoughts, and he banished those thoughts that had been chasing themselves around and around his processors like a feedback loop gone out of control. He pushed himself off the wall and uncrossed his arms, assuming a commanding -controlling- stance, letting that mask of control and harshness fall right back into place as easily as ever, having been perfected by millenniums of practice.

"Yes?" His own voice sliced through the air, but it seemed to leave a thick, heavy feel behind it's wake. Sunstorm didn't waver.

"I wished to speak with you about something." he said, taking a step into the room. Thundercracker gave a soft growl, but not a warning. More of general annoyance. Sunstorm ignored it and moved over to one of the walls, and then sat down, leaning against it. The cool feel of the stone at his back was welcoming, considering his body was almost always warm because of his fusion core. He waited a few, letting Thundercracker calm down. Finally the other seeker leaned against the wall, one foot up against the wall, arms crossed.

"Well? So talk already." He said, sounding irritated and annoyed. But in reality, he welcomed the company. Not that he would let that be known, of course. When Sunstorm didn't respond right away, he growled softly, but Sunstorm still didn't talk. That DID infuriate him. "Sunstorm, just fragging talk already." He shifted, getting a bit annoyed. Sunstorm looked up at him, with a strange bit of calmness to him.

"Calm down, Thundercracker. Matters such as this need to be approached carefully." He replied calmly, optics dimmed. Thundercracker stared at him.

"Don't start with that mystic slag again. It's irritating." He grumbled, not hiding his apparent irritation at Sunstorm at all. Sunstorm glanced up at him for a moment, then looked back down, staring across the dimmed room.

"Where do you feel this war is going, Thundercracker?"

Thundercracker started, uncrossing his arms. He stared down at Sunstorm, fully shocked. Had he been reading his mind or something? But that was impossible for the sun-hued seeker. Sunstorm looked at him, reading the other like an unsecured datapadd. He tilted his head slightly, waiting for Thundercracker to respond. But the black jet just stared at him for a good few minutes, letting that question meld its way into his previous thoughts, realizing just how close to home that question slid. He looked away from Sunstorm for a bit, then finally spoke.

"Why...?"

"Just answer the question, then I will answer yours." Sunstorm replied coolly. Thundercracker glared again, then calmed down after a moment. He sighed, intakes whirring as he did so. The thoughts had been weighing heavily on his processors recently and now, here, was the opportunity to actually talk to someone about it...even if it WAS Starscream's clone he talked with.

"Fine. You really want to know? I hate this Primusdamned war. It has no meaning to it...no purpose anymore. I just don't see it anymore. Granted, I have put on a front of being the hardaft around here...I need to..." Thundercracker turned and faced the other. "Wait...Shockwave didn't put you up to this, did he...?" he asked, eying the other warily. Sunstorm merely shook his head gently, giving Thundercracker the opening he needed to continue. "Alright...But...I want it over. I am done with not having control over my own life. Unfortunately, there is no way I can do anything without getting slagged in the process." He fidgeted, uncomfortable with actually revealing how he felt about this war to someone. Granted, the other had come to him, first, but still...it just...it was odd. Sunstorm watched him for a few moments, then stood again.

"Come with me, Thundercracker." he motioned for the other to follow him. Thundercracker raised an optic ridge and stared at him.

"...Again...why?"

Sunstorm paused as he had started heading out the door, and just stared out that door...which was more of an archway to the small cavern that Thundercracker had made into a room, he mused. After a moment, he turned slightly, not actually looking at the other seeker.

"I think you have someone to tell that to. Do you trust me?"

Thundercracker stared at him.

"You and your Primusdamned mystic stuff. Fine. Let's go." He pushed off the wall and headed past Sunstorm. "But I will warn you, if you are taking me to Shockwave, I will slag you myself." he growled out softly, pausing right outside the archway and waiting for him. Sunstorm just shook his head.

"Don't worry." He stepped out past Thundercracker and headed back down the hall, just a few steps ahead. "Oh, and by the way, two things. One, don't damn Primus. You'll find yourself slagged moreso for that. Two, the chances of you actually being able to slag _me_ aren't that great." he said, not turning around. Thundercracker had to laugh at that.

"Oh? Then tell me why you got slagged by the humans." he asked, annoyed at the comments. He just HAD to throw in the comment on being slagged by the humans as retaliation.

Sunstorm could sense the smirking in the other's voice.

"Even I get caught off guard sometimes." It was all he said to that. Thundercracker just shook his head and continued following, not commenting further. It was true, everyone could be caught off guard at times. Just like now, as he was caught off guard as they turned into the larger cavern that the human was in. He moved into the room and stared yet again at Sunstorm. "Sunstorm, what-?" He started to ask, but was cut off by Sunstorm raising a hand to silence him. Surprisingly, Thundercracker actually went quiet. After a moment he watched as Mikaela looked out from behind one of the pillars, and then stepped out. She didn't say anything, staying quiet with Thundercracker around. Sunstorm turned to him and held his hand out towards Mikaela.

"Tell her what you told me."

Thundercracker looked at her, then back at Sunstorm, shocked.

"Have you _lost _it? You want me to speak with _her_??"

Sunstorm just stared back calmly, and Thundercracker slowly realized the irradiated jet was serious. He looked back at Mikaela, who was now staring at him, confused. The two stared at each other for a good few minutes. Soon, Mikaela just leaned back against the pillar she stepped out from and crossed her arms, much in the fashion that he had been in earlier.

"So...what is it?" she asked, her voice holding an air of defiance and confidence. She was pulling off the fact that he was hesitating, and that hesitation was giving her the edge to stand up to him. Thundercracker stared back at her, that tone of voice both annoying and surprising him. How was it that a simple little human could have the strength to stand up to him like that? He had no idea that she gathered it from his hesitations. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he spoke.

"The only reason I am saying _any_ of this is because Sunstorm asked me to." he growled out. But he was stopped before he could say anything else by a snide remark from Mikaela.

"I thought you were the one in command."

Thundercracker glared at her, his armor shifting slightly in annoyance, then turned away and moved to head back out. Sunstorm raised a hand, stopping him.

::Thundercracker, wait.::

::Are you insane? No, wait, don't answer that. You expect me to stand around and _take that_?:: he said over their internal comm systems, not letting Mikaela hear their conversation. She stood and watched, as the two stared at each other, Sunstorm with his hand out in front of Thundercracker. _Hmm...they must be using internal communications systems. Interesting_...She tilted her head, just watching, learning bit by bit about them, more and more each day.

::Just...tell her. She may have the outlet you are looking for, Thundercracker. Just...give her a chance. Alright?:: Sunstorm responded, his arm still out in case the other continued to want to run. Thundercracker stared at him, glaring, really not wanting to do this. Not after she had just insulted him like that.

::She just _insulted _me!::

"Fine...I'm sorry..." Mikaela suddenly blurted out, sighing. She hadn't known that was what they were talking about, but she had a feeling considering he turned to leave after her last comment. Thundercracker and Sunstorm both turned in shock at that, Thundercracker's armor shifting back to its original position. Sunstorm's hand lowered slightly, his own optics displaying a stunned sort of surprise.

"What? Wait...could you..?" Thundercracker started, but was stopped by Mikaela's shaking head.

"No, I can't read your mind. I can't read any minds, human or...mech alike." she looked up at the other, her tone of defiance gone, and just the confidence remained. Thundercracker still stared at her.

"Then how...?" he tilted his head at her, his faceplates moving slightly to display confusion. Mikaela grinned lightly at that.

"How you responded. You got mad after my last comment, and went to leave. I figured I had insulted you, so I apologized." she replied, shrugging as it was no big deal. Thundercracker shook his head and moved to sit down. Sunstorm lowered his hand fully, and stood behind and to the left of him. Mikaela stared at Thundercracker as he sat down, more or less kneeling down to get a better look at her. He stared at her for a few minutes again, and then leaned back a bit.

"Fine...I accept your apology." he said grudgingly, but calmly. Mikaela raised an eyebrow at him, then looked up at Sunstorm, who nodded slightly. She had an odd feeling that she understood what was going on here, that Thundercracker had something to say.

"So...what did you want to tell me?" She asked, tilting her head a bit. Thundercracker watched her for a moment, then spoke finally.

"...What...do you know of our war...?" he asked slowly, unsure of where to start. The question caught her off guard.

"You...your war? Well, enough to know that I see it as pointless. Why?" She kept her arms crossed as she watched the other, who seemed to be having a mental war with himself. She looked closer at him. "..You feel the same way, don't you?"

He looked at her in surprise. How in the Pit was she able to do that? Was he really that readable? He sighed and raised a hand to his face, covering it and rubbing slightly.

"...Yes. Sunstorm suggested that I speak with you about it...though why you, I don't know." he said, growling a bit in contempt at speaking his mind to a human. Mikaela smiled softly.

"Because he feels the same way about your war. As does...Starscream." she said softly, watching the other. He looked up at her, his hand dropping.

"Starscream?" he leaned forward, trying to get a better look at her. She nodded.

"All three of you think this war is pointless. So...why not end it? Why not stop all the fighting...? Your Allspark is gone...there's no reason to fight over power anymore." she said, making a point. She unconsciously fingered a loose end of her wrap on her left arm, pulling at it slightly. Thundercracker watched her, and tilted his head. He was getting a sneaking suspicion that he was right, but he kept that to himself, at least for now. He sighed softly, intakes making a soft hissing noise as he did. He regarded her for several minutes, knowing that she made sense. But why was it that a mere human could do this? How was it that she was able to bring to light the truth that remained hidden in all of them? That the war was pointless? After a few minutes, he stood.

"...Skywarp won't agree to this, I can tell you that much right now. He is devoted to the war. Whatever you are planning, you had better do it soon." he said, crossing his arms. Mikaela glanced up at him with a wry smile.

"How much can I trust you?" she asked, eying him, watching his every move. Thundercracker stared at her, then turned back to Sunstorm, who nodded slightly in support. He turned back to Mikaela, hesitant again. _I'm a Decepticon...trust isn't generally in our vocabulary...but...perhaps...just this once..._

"You have my word. I won't go to Shockwave or Skywarp about this." He fidgeted again, nervous. Mikaela smiled.

"Alright. But if you betray us...forgiveness will not be forthcoming." She smirked and took a step forward as Thundercracker merely nodded. "Alright. I know you guys have internal communications systems. Can you open a link to Starscream?" She grinned, with a plotting look on her face. Thundercracker eyed her for a moment.

"I can try...the distance might interfere. Though..." it was his turn to smirk now. "A bond is much more efficient..."

Shocked, Mikaela just stared at him, unable to say anything else...

* * *

END CHAPTER 20

Author's Note: Okay, I know...I don't have Sunstorm down at all worth a shit, but I added him in here before I really knew what he was like. I found out later that he is a hell of a lot different than what I portray him as here, so...forgive me, Sunstorm fans. XD. As for Thundercracker fans...I am sorry if I completely miss him here. I need to watch more G1. But bear with me, and I hope you all are enjoying so far! And...I apologize for the delay. ILU ALL! (lessthanthree!)


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 - Plan of Action

Sam sat on one of the smaller rocks near the outside of the base, staring at a few of the smaller pebbles left over from the battle several days before. He glared at it, shooting his anger at it, knowing it would do know good, but it made him feel better. He kicked at it, watching it bounce across the rock and sand littered pavement that was spread out before the doors of the base, having once been a decent lot for the various vehicles that had once crowded the area. Now it was bare and bland, the concrete seeming to melt off into the sand in the distance. The rock came to a soft clattering halt some distance away, seeming to stare back at him in mock defiance at not going as far as Sam wanted. Sam had half a mind to get up and chase the rock around the pavement, for a lack of anything better to do. The Autobots were off in a meeting somewhere, and he was tired of listening to the same thing over and over again. Strategy seemed to be the only thing nowadays. Optimus had tried to speak with him about it, to tell him the importance of it. Sam had told him rather bluntly what to do with that strategy and walked off. He was angry...and hurt. Despite the fact that he had agreed to let Mikaela go, it still hurt him deeply. He still loved her very much and to see her with..._him_...confused him to no end. He was continually fighting back the wave after wave of angry outbursts and breakdowns in favor of looking strong in front of everyone. He knew what everyone expected...but he wondered if they _knew_. He wondered if they knew how much all of this bothered him. Right now, he just wanted to get her back. And not as in being his girlfriend again. Just back here, safe, away from the Decepticons.

He sighed softly and leaned back, his head thunking back against the hard brick of the wall that lined the door of the base, framing it by about five feet on all side. A flash of white light shot through the back of his eyes as he did that, being rewarded for his thoughtlessness with a sharp stab of pain to the back of his head as well. He winced and raised his hand up to the back of his head, brushing his fingers across the smarting skin. He winced again, then lowered his hand.

"Deserved that one..." he mused sullenly, resting his head more carefully against the brick this time. He closed his eyes, Mikaela's face floating in the darkness of his eyelids that was turned a dull red by the light shining across the landscape and reflecting back at him. He pushed the image out of his mind and forced himself to think on the current situation. On how to get her back safely.

"Sam."

He jumped and turned, not having heard anyone walk up at all, he was so deep in his thoughts. Or had he dozed off a bit? He didn't remember. He had been a bit tired recently with all the events going on. Stress. Not a glass of milk, and definitely does not do a body good. His eyes rested on a set of metal, dirt-colored legs and his eyes trailed upwards, quickly coming to the realization that it was the one mech he _really_ didn't want to speak with.

"...Starscream." He returned, his voice flat and uninterested. He turned back to stare straight ahead, focusing on the one lone fluffball of a cloud in the distance float lazily across the sky, watching as it twisted itself into different shapes. A heart. A flower. An aircraft carrier. Sam growled. Even the cloud seemed to mock him as it formed into the vague shape of a plane and then shifted into something resembling a branch off a tree. He stared back down at the pebbles at his feet, reaching down and picking one up, this one having some jagged edges to it. It was the size of a normal twenty-sided dice and fit perfectly in his palm, although the sharp edges stung a bit if he closed his fist on it more than he should have.

It was after several minutes of silence that one of them broke it, trying to quell the tension between them.

"Why?"

It was Sam, as he had every right to ask that question. It had been a question that had been burning in his mind for a while now, ever since he found out that Mikaela had fallen for the mech. He didn't even look at him, not wanting to. He didn't feel that Starscream really deserved even that much. Starscream looked down at him in surprise at him being the first to say anything. He had merely come out to enjoy some of the nicer weather they were having. It was warm out, though not overly exhausting. The sky was clear, and the air was alive with small sounds of animal life a bit further away, out in the desert. Somewhere off to the right, a rattler went off in warning as some poor creature got too close. Off to the left a flying insect went quietly buzzing past, and Starscream focused on it, analyzing it as he flew by him. His processors whirred for a brief second as he scanned it, and then returned his attention back to Sam. Truth was, he didn't know. But to just say 'I don't know' seemed too much of an escape. He moved to sit down, metal brushing against metal and pavement as he did so. He seemed to debate the answer, and yet, still came up with the same one.

"Sam...I...honestly do not know."

"Well, why the hell not?" Sam retorted dryly, not even giving so much as a glance at him. His hand clenched more around the stone, the sharp edges acting like broken glass against his skin, threatening to cut through the layers of skin to the blood underneath. Starscream glanced at him briefly, then looked away, staring right out at the never-ending expanse of the desert. He honestly had no answers for once. He was cornered, and it felt much the same way when Megatron used to corner him and blame him for things he had no idea about, and his only answer was 'I don't know'. He always grew angry at the accusations, but this time, the accusations were true, and Sam had every single right to be upset. His intakes made a soft hissing noise as he took a breath and cycled the air through his systems, his frame depressing slightly as he sat there, his shoulders dropping slightly in defeat. He thought another moment, then he looked at Sam.

"Why did you fall for her?"

Now _that_ deserved a shocked look from Sam, which was quickly replaced by a heated glare. Sam wanted to throw the rock at Starscream, just to see if it would make him feel any better than he did now. But he refrained from doing so, and Starscream's question seemed to float through his mind. The more it did, the more clear answer he finally came to see. And he realized how much he didn't like it. He stayed silent for a very long time after that before finally answering.

"...I don't know."

Starscream turned to look at him, nearly returning Sam's' earlier retort of 'why the hell not', but thinking better of it. He just let it sit there, the silence doing more than anything he could have said. Sam shifted uncomfortably, finally tossing the rock to the ground, his hand red, but free of cuts. He watched as it rolled near it's earlier companion, but never touching it. He sighed. _So close...yet always so far away. I suppose that's how it is for everything..?_ After a few moments of staring at the same two rocks he looked back up at Starscream, then back down at the horizon, as if he were debating saying something. In all honesty he was thinking about saying something. A lot of things, ranging from, 'Go die in a fire' to 'Keep her safe'. But the truth of the matter was, he still loved her, and what he truly wanted most for her was to be happy. And that is what he had told her. He finally leaned back again, this time careful not to bang his head against the wall this time, his eyes closing again.

"Starscream."

The jet turned and looked at him, an optic ridge raising in a bit of surprise that Sam had broken the silence yet again. His soft, glowing red optics gazed at him curiously, and he tilted his head slightly, wondering what it was he had to say. He figured it was more hurt words, but decided to bite anyway.

"...Yes...?"

"...You hurt her...and you will have a lot more to deal with than just me," Sam said finally, his words cold and sharp-edged, but meaningful. "Got it?" Sam's eyes opened and moved to look at Starscream, his eyes showing the level of seriousness that his words held. Starscream stared back at him in surprise, his optics widening slightly. He had not figured on Sam actually saying anything like that.

"...Sam-"

"Look. I don't like this. At _all,_" he said truthfully, turning his head to fully stare at the Decepticon. His eyes glared with a very honest warning. "But for whatever reason, she chose you. Why, I have NO clue." He raised a hand, exasperated. "I don't see it. I really don't. But you know what? You make her _happy,_ Starscream. And to me, that is what matters. I want Mikaela happy." He stood finally, and began to head back in side, but stopping just beyond Starscream. "You hurt her...and it will be more than just the Autobots that come after you." He finished darkly. He knew he was being over protective, but he felt he still had at least some rights as her friend. He walked inside, not saying another word. Starscream held his scanners on the human male until he had turned around a corner in one of the corridors, and he diverted attention away from Sam and back out to the sky and sighed softly, optics resting on the small cloud that was now drifting into little wisps as it slowly disintegrated into the warm stillness of the afternoon sky...

* * *

"Excuse me?" 

Mikaela stood there, feeling her body washing over with waves of hot and cold, alternating back and forth, making her feel slightly queasy. She stared back at Thundercracker, her eyes widening for a brief moment before slitting in a dark glare at him. Thundercracker leaned back slightly in amusement, crossing his arms and staring at the small human in front of him. He had been watching her vitals as he said that and he found her heart rate increasing at his comment amusing. He watched her for a moment more before speaking again, his tone clearly amused.

"I said, 'a Bond is much more efficient.'"

"I don't know what you're talking about," She said sharply, recovering from her initial reaction to Thundercracker mentioning the bond. Her voice was clipped and dry, and she crossed her arms as she stood there, her greenish-hazel eyes glinting in the dull light of the room. Her hair had been tied back, with several wisps still sticking out from the sides of her face. She finally crossed her arms, staring back at the black mech. In all honestly, she really _had_ no idea what he was talking about when he said that a bond would be more effective. Sure, there was a bond between her and Starscream, inadvertent as it was, but she had no idea what exactly what the extent of it was.

She gave Thundercracker a confused look when he made a noise, air rushing through his intakes quickly and suddenly, a sound that may well have been likened to that of a snort. He shook his head and pointed at her arms, and leaned forward, one finger brushing her arm and pushing down the gauze that covered her burns. The telltale tendril burns were revealed just enough for Thundercracker to mumble "I thought so" before Mikaela glared at him and reached up and slapped at his finger, anger and offense flashing in her eyes.

"Do you _MIND_?" She snapped, glaring at him. Since _when_ did he think he could touch her? What _right_ did he have to do that? Her attention was temporarily caught by a slight movement off to the right of Thundercracker, and her face clouded at first in confusion. Sunstorm stood there, with one hand over his lower face, making soft strangled noises. With a start she realized he was trying not to laugh. Mentally she laughed at this image, but outwardly she just turned back to Thundercracker and shot him another look of anger. Thundercracker, having heard Sunstorm, turned and glared at him, a low growl emanating from deep within his frame. Sunstorm stopped and dropped his hand, drawing back slightly. Satisfied with the results of his reprimand, Thundercracker turned back to Mikaela and watched her, his optics glowing darkly.

She was not too thrilled with the jet that now stood before her. He had pretty much invaded her personal bubble, and that was a big thing against her. After what he had done, she wasn't so sure she wanted to help anymore. But at that thought, the second thought of her friends back at the Autobot base and Starscream flashed through her mind, and she mentally growled at it. Whether she liked it or not, she was going to need their help with this. Thundercracker seemed pretty content to sit there and wait for her, despite the fact that she had slapped at him. Sunstorm now stood near the door way, looking rather distant, a slight gold aura around him now, almost to dim to really notice it. He stood there, scanning, making sure no one was coming. She glanced back at Thundercracker, who was just watching her. The staring and not saying anything was slowly picking at her nerves, and she broke down and fidgeted once, breaking eye contact with him for a second, then glancing back at him.

"...What?"

"Just waiting on you." The Decepticon replied coolly, watching her. He knew by now what those marks meant, and they meant that he was right about her bond. He leaned back a bit, lengthening the space between his face and her, seeming to give her more room. Mikaela glared back at him, his answer infuriating her even more, grating her nerves down again.

"To do what?" She snapped back, her arms tightening across her chest. The movement sent jabs of pain up and down her arms, but she refused to show that it had caused her any pain at all. She continued to stare back, wanting more answers before she even thought about telling the truth. For all she knew, this whole thing could be a cover to get her to reveal her bond with Starscream, and thus use it against her and everyone else. She watched as Thundercracker's intakes cycled again, sounding much like a resigned sigh.

"I told you that I won't go to Skywarp or Shockwave about this, and now you won't trust me with this?" He sounded exasperated as he knelt back down closer to her. "Look. Either you trust me, or I can leave you to those other two. And believe me, that is not a fate you would prefer." He explained as he lowered one hand down to the ground next to her for support. Mikaela stared back up at him, taking one step to the side and back as he leaned down in front of her again. His words sounded like a threat to her, and that, also, did not go over well. Her eyes slitted again and she refused to look away from him.

"..Is that a threat?" She asked bluntly, refusing to back down. Thundercracker shook his head.

"No. It's not. It-"

"Thundercracker." The voice was Sunstorm's. Thundercracker turned to him with an annoyed glance.

"What is it?"

"Skywarp just commed me. He wishes to know if we have succeeded in extracting information from her." He had his own arms crossed as he turned his head a bit to look at the other jet. Thundercracker stared back at him. Now was _not_ the best time for this. He growled, a soft noise that held a mechanical undertone to it, as well as annoyance.

"...Primus..." He raised a hand to the side of his head, either thinking or gaining the robot equivalent of a headache. "Tell him not yet. Tell him that we are currently interrogating her, that we need a bit more time, and to not disturb us until we are finished here." He paused a moment, then added, "And tell him that is a direct order." He looked back at Mikaela as Sunstorm silently relayed the message to the other jet, hoping that the message would buy them a bit more time.

"Mikaela, we don't have much time." He pointed at her arm and spoke again, though this time a bit more softly. "I know you have a bond with Starscream simply because of those burns. And right now, if you don't want to be found out, you need to listen to me and learn how to use that bond that you have." He paused, waiting to see her reactions. It seemed like forever before Mikaela's face softened a bit, then looked away. She rubbed her arms a bit as she thought. The thing was, the more she hated to admit it, Thundercracker was right. She stared at the cracks in the floor, all intertwining, all connecting. Even the ones from the farthest reaches of the cavern seemed to snake out, reaching across the distance and intertwining with other cracks in the floor. _Everything always seems to intersect at one point or another..._she mused silently, not sure why she was thinking that at a time like this. _Dammit..he's right, too. I need to get out of here, and whether I trust them or not, these two are my only way out. I don't like this..._She looked up at him finally, gritting her teeth for a moment, praying and hoping she was making the right choice. _Star...if this is wrong, forgive me._

"Fine. How do I use it?"

Thundercracker nodded at her, grateful that she was willing to trust them at last, at least a bit. It was an odd feeling, being trusted by someone and an even odder feeling betraying those he had served and supported for such a long time. But everything always came full circle, and now here he was, making this decision again.

"Alright, here's how..."


	23. Chapter 22: Revelations

Credits and Motivation: The initial part of the Bond-link communication scene is credited to ArmoredSoul, with a bit of tweaking. Songs include: "To the Moon and Back", Savage Garden; "It's my turn to Fly", Titan AE soundtrack; "Tough Enough", Vanilla Ninja; "Save a Prayer", Duran Duran; "Transformers RMX" by DJ Starscream; "Stand My Ground", Within Temptation; "What I've Done", Linkin Park.

Thank you to all of you who have followed this story since posting it nearly a year ago. I owe all of you so much. And now...

**Chapter 22: Revelations**

The sun was high in the sky as the yellow camaro with its two passengers raced down the lone road towards Sam's home in Tranquility. He needed some supplies, and Simmons had gone with to get away from the giant robots. Something about them had just bothered the hell out of him. Not only had he been deterred by his attempts at his research, but up to now he had basically been forced to live with them. He was not exactly thrilled about it, but he did manage to take advantage of the situation and study them from afar. Now, with this new development about Mikaela and Starscream, it just made him more uneasy. The thought of a human and a Cybertronian...it made his skin crawl. He leaned back against the leather-clad seat, looking out the passenger window as he watched the ground rush by him, his mind lurking into deeper thoughts.

Sam was having his own mental talk with himself as he sat back in the driver's seat, half-watching the rest of the world rush by. He had been deep in thought the last half hour that they had been driving. His thoughts on Mikaela and Starscream were still a mess, no matter who he talked to. Granted, he had given his blessings to her, but...deep down, he was still infuriated, still hurt, and still very much upset. He still loved her, and he felt like he was being betrayed, being cast aside. His talk with Starscream, in the end, held no consolation for him. He may have sounded like he was giving them the go-ahead, but in reality, within his own mind, he was more than ready to find a way to get the two of them apart, if only for Mikaela's safety. He was convinced that Starscream had other intentions, and he was determined to do something about it. He just didn't know how to do anything, seeing as everyone was already on their side.

"Is everything alright, Sam?" The voice of Bumblebee came over the radio, somewhat concerned. There had been no communications between any of them, and that usually meant either trouble, or a lot of thinking. Which, in turn, usually meant trouble. Sam was snapped back to reality by Bee's voice.

"Huh? Oh, yeah...everything's fine, Bee. Don't worry." He shifted a bit, sinking lower into the seat a bit. He glanced over at Simmons, who had turned to stare at the radio. He was still amazed at the robotic life forms, and yet still held his own reservations toward them. The agent raised an eyebrow, staring at the radio.

"So, uh...B-Bumblebee, right?" he interjected before either Sam or Bumblebee could continue, though hesitating slightly, almost calling him by the designation that he had given Bumblebee back when he had first captured the mech back around the time of the Mission City battle. Since they had gotten attacked by the Autobots after taking Bumblebee the second time, Simmons had been keeping his own records of each of the bots, designating them as NBE-1 Megatron, NBE-2 Bumblebee, NBE-3 through 5 being Optimus Prime, Ironhide and Ratchet. NBE-6 was Starscream, and the others that he knew of that had died were Jazz and Frenzy, being NBEs 7 and 8. He was still gathering information on the rest of those that had fallen. He chided himself momentarily, having forgotten the others that had attacked the base recently. NBE-9-12 were to be Shockwave, Thundercracker, Skywarp and Sunstorm. He only learned those names by staying quiet and listening to the other Autobots talk about them. He had input all this into a secured database that he had been working on the past few weeks that they had been there. Since he couldn't do his research the way he wanted, he would do it this way until he had his opening. He stared at the radio, waiting for an answer.

"Yes." Bee answered simply, his voice seemingly flat, for a mechanical voice. Simmons gave a thoughtful look, his fingers rubbing against themselves as he placed his elbow on the frame of the door where window met door, his hand near his face as he thought a moment, debating a good way to bring up the most current and tentative subject to date. But of course, tact was not his best quality, but sarcasm was. He licked his front teeth under his lip and went right for it.

"So...I'm curious. What do you think of all this?" He asked, just _needing _to open that can of worms. Sam looked at him with a look that could have melted the armor off of any one of the Cybertronians. Simmons, however, ignored said look and stared right at the radio, curious to hear their car's thoughts on the entire situation. For a moment, there was a pause. Then:

"Do you speak of the current relationship between Mikaela and the Decepticon Starscream?" the camaro queried, wanting to be clear of exactly which situation Simmons was speaking of. Simmons, in turn, nodded his head, a silent yes that was accompanied by a vocal affirmation.

"Yes."

There was more silence as the yellow Autobot debated his answer, the ground passing them by. The small bushes of dry, bare plants, while having no notion of time or even aware that something rushed by them, waved in the trailing wind left by the car as it passed by. Dust kicked up around them as they zipped by at a speed that broke the speed limit by 15 miles per hour, leaving behind a dirt cloud that slowly spread and settled the further they got from any one point.

The roar of Bumblebee's engines seemed almost too loud as the Autobot seemed to formulate a proper response to Agent Simmons's question. But try as he might, the camaro wasn't sure how to voice his opinion. He wished not to hurt Sam. nor did he wish to put Simmons in the spotlight that the human seemed to crave so much.

Honestly?

He disliked the whole situation. Sure, he wanted the war over. But by Primus and the Allspark, wasn't there a different way? How could Mikaela NOT be happy with Sam? Sam had given her everything, and then some. He had fought for her, waited for her, done everything for her, and Bee himself had even helped Sam out with her in his own little ways, pretending to stall and aptly put songs notwithstanding. He didn't understand how and why this particular situation had formed. He had even gone so far as to run his own scenarios with different situations and variables, and yet he STILL could not come up with anything even close to what happened. Even with other races they had previously encountered, he had never seen -or heard of- this kind of thing.

He shifted gears and increased speed, still debating. Meanwhile, Simmons shifted, still waiting, even though it had only been a few moments since he had asked that question. He cast a slightly annoyed glance at Sam, who looked back at the agent and shook his head, holding a hand up in the universal but silent gesture of "Just wait". Simmons made a face and sank back into the slick leather of Bee's seating, waiting semi-impatiently for his answer. He looked out the window, one hand resting on the slight bump in his pocket where his cellphone rested.

-Cellphone. He glanced down, pulling out the sleek black, state-of-the-art cellphone that had been issued to him by the government. Even though Sector 7 had been disbanded, he was still able to keep all the shiny perks of being the agent that he was, and that included his cellphone, among other things. He placed his thumb along the bottom and pressed, watching the face of it slide up, revealing a keypad just below the surface. The display came on, revealing he had full service, but only two out of four bars of battery charge left. His expression turned thoughtful again, and he let a slight smile form across his features.

They were in a war...right?

"-much as I do not wish to say this about Mikaela, Sam, I feel that she is making a grave mistake in trusting Starscream, even more so in choosing to be a mate to him," Bumblebee finally said, his mechanical voice cutting through Simmons's thoughts, drawing the agent's attention back to the present once again. "We have all known Starscream to be treacherous, even to his own side. He will do anything to obtain control of the Decepticon Army. Though currently, Starscream, by default of rank, IS in command of the Decepticons." The camaro slowed down, coming to an intersection, his right blinker flickering to life on the dashboard, a small indicator of the direction they were heading. Sam idly wondered if life ever gave indicators like this one, or did they always have to go head-on with life wearing a black blindfold at every turn? To be thrown left and right without ever knowing when, with no signs or signals...he was certain he would be left bruised and battered, though currently in a manner of speaking, he was from this latest turn of events. Sam glanced back at the radio, Bee's last statement leaving him wondering something.

"Wait. So if Starscream is already the Decepticon Commander, then what does he need Mikaela for?" he asked, confused now by Bee's information. The yellow camaro seemed to mull that over for a moment, then answered as he turned and began to gain speed once again, gears shifting through the speeds as he went faster.

"In some cultures it is not an uncommon practice to take a female from their enemy to obtain an unfair advantage against their opposite side, not to mention a seat of power in their own side. I have noticed this in not only your world, but in other worlds which we have encountered, as well. It is possible that Starscream has taken this route under such an obscure way so as not to draw fire upon himself too soon." he suggested, carefully choosing his words. Sam sighed, resting a hand on the wheel as he saw a car appear in the distance, headed toward them on the other side of the two-lane road. Sadly, what Bee had said made perfect sense to him. Almost TOO perfect. Pretend to fall for the human girl, let the human girl actually fall for the Decepticon, and she would go willingly and even _defend_ her love interest. If that was the case, the he would have a hell of a time getting her away from the jet. He gripped at the wheel tightly, thinking hard.

"..Gotta be it, Bee.." Sam mumbled half to himself, only vaguely noting the passing car on the other side and it's passengers; a father, driving, a mother turned around in her seat to attend a miserable, crying child. The windows were half rolled down, a sign of a broken air conditioner. In this heat, no wonder the kid was miserable. As they passed, he could have sworn that he could hear the kid crying, even with Bumblebee's windows rolled up.

"Sam, we must also consider the slight possibility that, however much we may dislike the idea-" Bee started, trying to offer the idea that the two might actually care for each other, but he was cut off by Sam.

"-Don't. I know that possibility, Bumblebee, and I know Mikaela. She wouldn't do something that stupid without a good reason." he snapped bitterly. Even though Sam had accepted Mikaela's supposed feelings, he was still struggling with "why" aspect of it all, and how outlandish the whole idea was. Bumblebee went silent, only the sound of his engines filling the air between them. Simmons broke the silence between them after a moment.

"Separate them."

Sam looked at him with a look of stunned disbelief. "...Have you looked around lately? They ARE separated. Or did you lose your memory somewhere?" he retorted sarcastically, growing increasingly irritated at the entire situation. Simmons only shook his head.

"No. Think about this for a moment." He shifted in his seat to face Sam a bit easier. "Take out Starscream. Get him away from her. It's the only way that she will be safe, right?" he said, playing his words around like pieces of a chess game. Sam looked at him incredulously, his eyes wide in shock. He remembered what happened the last time Starscream was nearly killed. Mikaela had doubled over, screaming in pain. She passed out, nearly died, trying to save his life. He shook his head.

"No. I don't know if you remember, Simmons, but when Starscream was shot down, Mikaela felt it, remember? What if killing him...or at least disabling him indefinitely..." Sam drummed his fingers on Bee's steering wheel, thinking through this. "...what if it kills her, or puts her into a coma that she never wakes up from?" he asked slowly, watching the S-7 agent closely. Simmons seemed to think on that for a moment, then began playing his words again.

"And what if she isn't? Sam, you have to look at this in the long run. Save her life now, before he kills her for no reason, or let her go on believing that Decepticon actually _cares_ for her, and dies for sure? And if something happens, we have top medical specialists that can help her. She stands more of a chance living through that jet being taken out of commission than she does staying with him." He said quietly and slowly, still facing toward Sam. His thumb slid across the keypad on his phone, the display long since having gone dark to conserve power. Sam stared at him, then looked out to the distance ahead of them. Tranquility was slowly coming into view now, appearing to rise above the illusion of water across the desert like Atlantis out of the Mediterranean Sea. Of course it was all just a mirage, created by the differences in air temperature near the ground and how the light bends and refracts to create the water illusion. Sam bit his lip at that. _Nothing but an illusion..._

"Do it." He said finally, hoping he wasn't making a grave mistake himself. Simmons, meanwhile, grinned, and began to dial a number.

* * *

Starscream could only wonder just how many times Optimus could _possibly _talk to him about Mikaela and their current...unprecedented situation. He had received a messaged from Optimus to meet him outside, though the subject of said meeting was not revealed. Star could only figure that it was the same old argument yet again, and he was mentally preparing for the upcoming fight. He was betting on more berating comments, more "it's just not right" comments, more distrust in terms of their relationship. He knew Optimus was worried, but still. Couldn't he just _drop_ it already? He had no intentions of ever hurting Mikaela, especially after the way she had treated him from the start. She had been nothing but kind to him, and her kindness had won him over in the end, and then some. Why couldn't anyone get it already? He growled to himself in exasperation as he walked down the hall to the entrance of the base, his clawed hands clenching and releasing slowly as he walked. It was bad enough that he was pissed off and stressed about Mikaela being missing, but this old argument _again_? He shook his head as he reached the doors, pausing a moment with one hand on one door, intakes cycling slowly as he tried to bring his processors back into reason. He finally pushed the door open, stepping forward into the light of midday.

"Starscream. Thank you for joining me." the Autobot leader said almost immediately, as if he had known Starscream had been there. Of course, Optimus did have his sensors on full alert for obvious reasons, and they happened to pick up Starscream as he came within range of the semi. The jet paused, raising an optic ridge at the leader. _Well...that was unexpected..._he thought, wondering if he could be wrong. He took a few more steps forward, now noticing the large glowing map in the air in front of Optimus, created by projectors in the Autobot's optics. He took note of several red dots on the map that were pulsing, his spark pulsing slightly at the sight. Could it be possible that they knew where she was? He took another step, finally speaking.

"...Is there a problem?" he asked, sounding a bit more irritated than he had intended. If the large semi was offended by the tone, he didn't show it. Instead he raised a hand and waved the F-22 closer to him, a silent request to join him at his side. Starscream's optic ridge went higher, but he obliged with only a bit of hesitation. He thudded forward, wing panels twitching slightly and his hands still clenching and releasing, only this time in slight anticipation, worry and hope. Optimus shook his head at first to Starscream's question, then stopped, as if thinking.

"Somewhat. We have a few ideas of where Mikaela might be. But we need a better way to locate her. Our sensors aren't picking up her bio-signature at all, and Ratchet has done what he can to bolster the strength of all of our sensors." He said carefully, not turning to face the jet lest he move the map as well. Starscream looked at him, shutters over his optics flicking a couple of times, then began to say something, but was gently cut off again by Optimus. "However. We did manage to find several underground cave systems approximately an hour away from here by flight standards. It would take several more hours for those of us on the ground to find and search any of them," he said, analyzing the map in front of him. He reached up and pointed at one of the closer cave systems. "This one is the closest. Starscream, you may be the only one who can find her in a short amount of time. Any of us would be seen on any of their sensors. You, as a flyer, can slip in undetected." the leader finished, finally shutting off the display as he turned to the jet, who had been studying the map well before Optimus shut it off. Starscream turned to look at Optimus, not so sure.

"With all due respect, Optimus, I am just as prone to their sensors as the rest of you. Not to mention that three of them are also flyers, and would know how to find me within seconds. There's got to be a different way to find her without revealing us." Starscream said, slight annoyance and worry piercing through his voice. Optimus winced inwardly. Good or bad, the Deception Second in Command still had that grating voice at times. However, he faced Starscream with a very serious look, and nodded once.

"There might be."

Starscream raised an optic ridge again, waiting for Optimus to continue. When he didn't, the F-22 fidgeted a bit.

"Well?" he asked, annoyance becoming more clear, and the more his voice grated against audials. Optimus shook his head and stepped forward toward Starscream, raising a hand and placing a finger against the armor on the other's chest, just above the tinted glass of the canopy. Starscream looked down, then up at Optimus, stepping back, his optics growing wide slightly. Optimus smiled a that. _Ahh, he got it. _The Autobot leader nodded.

"Your Bond, Starscream. You know what that entails, do you not?" Optimus asked straightforwardly, his hand lowering. He mentally found this scene amusing. Most mechs knew what a Bond entailed. A heightened sense of the other, an ability to communicate without comm systems, purely communicating via the sparkbonds. However, he also knew that Mikaela was organic, but he didn't see why the communication wouldn't work. Starscream growled slightly.

"Of course I know what it entails! But you and I _both_know that there is no way of knowing just what the extent of this Bond is!" He hissed, keeping his voice down a bit. He knew that his bond, accidental as it was, with Mikaela was a very touchy subject. But thankfully, those who seemed to object the most were currently on a supplies run for the base. Starscream was thankful that they had taken Simmons with, nosy and annoying as the agent was. Sam and Bee both had protested, but finally Optimus had to give an order to let him go with before they both relented.

"You're right, we don't," Optimus replied, interjecting into Starscream's train of thought. "But we won't know unless you try, Starscream." He took a step back, giving the other some room. Cornering Starscream was the last thing he wanted, but he also wanted to get the other to try the Bond communication. Starscream shook his head, not willing to risk it. There was too much at stake, or at least he was worried there would be some sort of disastrous outcome should he try to communicate with her via the bondlink.

"She's _human, _Optimus Prime, not Cybertonian! She can't communicate the way we do, comm or bondlink alike!" he snapped, his voice raising again to grating levels. Optimus had to chuckle a bit at Starscream's comment, earning a confused and rather annoyed look from the jet. "What's so funny?" Starscream asked, his optics narrowing in growing annoyance. The Autobot Leader shook his head, a soft smile playing across his metal features.

"Her being human never stopped you before," he said quietly. Starscream paused at that, staring at the other. Once again, he was right. For a moment, jet and semi watched each other, with Starscream finally growling softly and looking away.

"Optimus is right, Starscream."

Both Starscream and Optimus looked to the direction of the voice, to find Ratchet in the doorway, shadowed by Ironhide further behind. Ratchet unfolded his arms and pushed away from the door frame, taking a few steps towards the other two. Ironhide stepped out as well, but remained by the wall of the base, leaning against it, his own arms crossing. Starscream glanced between the three of them, noting that Optimus didn't seem too surprised. He wondered if the Autobot had called the other two without him knowing. He looked back at the medic, his wing plates twitching as he gained a defensive stance.

"How long have you been there!?" He hissed out, annoyed that they had been watched.

"Long enough to know what you two are discussing," the weapons specialist interjected sourly, not moving from his spot against the wall. He still didn't like Starscream, but he had gotten to a point of being willing to put up with him. For now, anyway. Starscream's gaze shifted from medic to specialist and then back, a low grumble emanating from him. Ratchet merely nodded, confirming Ironhide's statement. Optimus looked at his two long-time friends and gave a slight nod, then turned to Starscream.

"Starscream." He spoke firmly but quietly, drawing the jet's attention away from the other two, gaining the attention of two bright red optics, burning bright with emotions ranging from annoyance and anger to worry and tension. The semi reached a hand out again, waving him closer. He took a step away from the other two, indicating for Starscream to follow him. Starscream complied, albeit slightly grudgingly, walking with him slowly. "A Bond can allow you to communicate with the one you are bonded with. Granted we have no idea just how strong your bond with Mikaela is, but it's our best option at this point," Optimus said, attention caught by a jet as it flew across the sky. Scans indicated that it was of Earth origin, and he settled again, going back into his previous conversation. "If you manage to contact her, she would be able to tell you where she is, or at least give you a better idea. If your bond is strong enough, you might be able to pinpoint where she is without her telling you. It would be faster than searching the cave networks one by one..." His voice trailed off as he realized that Starscream was not walking with him. He turned around, optics searching for and landing upon a rather shocked-looking jet. Behind them, Ratchet took a step forward in worry, and Ironhide actually pushed off the wall, looking more alert. Optimus took a step toward Starscream, a bit worried, but also wondering if he had attempted the communication after all. "Starscream...?"

But the jet was lost in his own world, one that held whispers of a voice that he had longed to hear again. Somehow, it was Mikaela. Somehow, she had managed to connect to him, and contact him through the very same way that Optimus had been trying to get him to do. His hand unconsciously lifted to his chest, resting over the armor that protected his spark chamber. "...Mikaela...?" he whispered out loud, unaware that he had done so. But deeper within, the same question whispered across their shaky link, the reply strengthening their bond even more, and stabilizing their communication link.

* * *

Several hours had passed and Mikaela was extremely frustrated. She opened her eyes and let out a huff, flopping back against the hard ground below her, laying down. She had been trying to follow Thundercracker's suggestions on contacting Starscream through their Bond, but so far, nothing had worked. She was beginning to think it was hopeless, considering they were completely different. Even Thundercracker was thinking the same thing. Sunstorm had voiced his opinion an hour ago about it not working, and had left to tend to Skywarp, who had been comming both him and Thundercracker continuously and was threatening to go to Shockwave if they didn't get something soon. Sunstorm, in essence, was leaving to buy them more time, should the slight possibility of the communication actually happening occur.

"This is useless! I've tried everything you said, but it's not working." She said, exasperated and exhausted mentally. She had no idea what she could do to make it work. She wanted it to work, but nothing she did seemed to accomplish her objective. Thundercracker sighed, his intakes whirring as they cycled fresh air through his systems.

"I'm not sure what else to try, Mikaela. Everything I have heard of for communicating through a bond I have given you, and then some." Thundercracker replied, sounding defeated himself. He shook his head, the sound of servos and hydraulics working quietly filling the air. Mikaela closed her eyes again, but not in an attempt to contact Starscream. She sighed, relaxing, trying to recover some of her spent mental energy. She was frustrated, annoyed and worried over Starscream. She knew she had friends here, but she also know that her new-found friends could be hurt severely for helping her. It was the last thing she wanted. She felt Thundercracker watching her, and she shook her head slightly.

"It's not your fault, Thundercracker. It's gotta be because I am so different from your race." she said softly, just taking a deep breath and relaxing. She wanted a break before trying again. She would continue trying, until something happened. She was stubborn, and Thundercracker and Sunstorm both had come to realize this. After three and a half hours of nonstop trying and the two jets trying to convince her to stop or at least take a break, she had refused to do either up until this point. But now, she felt like her focus was failing, and she needed something to take her mind off of what she was trying to do. The floor of the cavern was cool against her back and it did help her relax a bit. She stretched out, arms above her head and then relaxed, all her muscles going slack. "We'll figure out something, I'm sure. I'm not giving up." she said softly, enjoying the cool feeling against her back and the black as she stared at the back of her eyelids. Though she didn't see it, Thundercracker nodded, debating whether to go find Sunstorm and Skywarp, or stay here with her.

Mikaela slipped quickly into a half-sleep state, not realizing how tired she had been. She was still aware of her surroundings, but she had also become aware that she was drifting. Her entire body relaxed more, and she felt as if she were sliding along something smooth. She wasn't alarmed, she had felt this every time she went to fall asleep. It was a comforting feeling to her. But when in her mind's eye a soft blue light appeared, she became curious. She wanted to get closer, and she felt herself drifting towards it. The closer she got, the more familiar it seemed. It wasn't until she reached out with her hand and touched the light that she realized with a jolt what it was. Outside of her, she looked only like she was snoozing. But from within, she finally found a way to contact Starscream. She called out to him from within, trying to get his attention, and trying to see if it would work.

/Star...? Can you hear me? Please...tell me you can.../ She whispered through her mind, her hand never leaving that warm light. Soft familiar tendrils of energy coiled around her fingers and up her arm, and she smiled at that. It gave her hope that she may have found a way for it to work. She felt a sudden wave of shock come back at her, and she nearly let go. But curiosity won over, and she called out again mentally, this time earning a response.

/...Mikaela...?/

She nearly started crying for real, a smile playing on her face from the outside. But from within, she was reaching for him even more, both hands now on the soft ball of light. She finally got him to respond and she both laughed and cried, the connection between them getting stronger with every communication back and forth.  
/Star! It worked!/ She nearly yelled over the bondlink. She was overcome with happiness, though she did try to calm down, remembering the purpose behind trying to contact him.  
/Star, I have some news for you. Thundercracker and Sunstorm both are coming with me. Neither want to be in this war anymore. I've talked with them. I know it's risky, but I believe them. We need to find a way out of here without the other two attacking us./ she reported, relaying the information as quickly and as simply as she could. She didn't know how stable their link was to begin with, and if it failed, she wanted to be sure he got the idea. She was both thrilled and relieved when she got a reply back from him.

/What? Thundercracker? And Sunstorm? Are you certain?/ Starscream was surprised when he got that bit of information from her. He honestly had never expected that those two would have a change of heart, Thundercracker especially. But then again, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that it wasn't so impossible. Sunstorm he could see, considering the irradiated jet was his clone. Thundercracker, he always seemed a bit to the off side of everything, off doing his own thing. So, maybe...

/Yes, I am certain. Can you create a diversion or something for us to get out of here? Or do you have any ideas?/ She asked, her heart-rate a bit faster than normal. She was nervous, and excited. But if she stayed like this too long and Skywarp came back, or worse, Shockwave and she was still in communication with Starscream...she didn't want to know what would happen. But apparently that thought crossed over the bond, as she got a sudden wave of intense worry and fear for her from Starscream. Both mentally and physically she gasped, not used to the feeling of emotions that were not her own. Thundercracker looked at her, an optic ridge raising in confusion.

"Mikaela? Are you alright?" the jet said quietly, knowing their time could be cutting it close. He had gotten a comm from Sunstorm that Shockwave was getting impatient. Mikaela, however, didn't answer. She was deep in the bondlink, trying her best to keep it as active as possible. She didn't know if she would be able to regain connection if they stopped. Thundercracker watched her more closely, wondering if she had managed to initiate contact finally.

/A diversion?/ Starscream quiried back, his processor whirring madly already. He wanted to find a way to get her out of there, and he didn't care how. He was about ready to just take off and get her himself. But knowing that Thundercracker and Sunstorm wanted out as well, that complicated things. /What about getting out of there when the other two are in recharge?/

Mikaela started at the suggestion. _It should work, _she thought. Her mind began going through the different possibilities and variables that she could think of, and each one came out with different endings. There was always the possibility of hidden alarms going off, or one of the other two mechs still being awake...but this was the best option they had so far. She mulled over it a bit more, finally coming to a decision.

/Alright. I'll bring it up to Thundercracker. He's right here. But...can I contact you without having to fall asleep to do it?/ she had to ask that, in case she needed to contact him again, and she didn't have time to just lay back and pass out. She watched the ball of light before her, pulsing gently as the tendrils of energy still curled around her arms. Just the sight alone of it was enough to calm her. _It looks like his spark,_ she mused, and smiled as she realized it made perfect sense for it to look like his spark.

/-I'm not sure. We'll have to try./ the jet replied quickly, not wanting to keep her longer than was needed. He was vaguely aware of Optimus and the others hovering close to him, trying to talk to him. /Go on. I'll talk to the others here./

Mikaela hesitated, sinking her hands a bit further into the warm blue light. /Star...?/

/Yes?/ his voice came back, sounding curious, though worried.

/Whatever happens, I love you./

Starscream felt a moment of sudden peace flow around his spark, and outwardly he relaxed, his head dipping down slightly and his hand pressing a bit more against his chest. His optics dimmed a bit, but he was completely fine. Optimus, Ratchet and even Ironhide were worried, but Optimus told them to stay back, as he had a feeling he knew what was going on. Starscream sent through the bond a wave of comfort and peacefulness, both laced with a sensation of love to her, at least he hoped it got to her.

/I love you, too. And nothing is going to happen. You are going to come back, and everything will be fine./ He said softly but firmly. He refused to let her think otherwise. Mikaela smiled mentally at that, drawing strength from his words and from the peace and love he sent through to her. Different as they were, love was still the same. She nodded mentally to him, ready to pull back, though reluctantly.

/Alright. I'll see you soon./ she said, finally and slowly withdrawing her hands from the soft blue ball of energy, the tendrils reluctantly relinquishing their gentle hold on her, slinking back into the ball of light. She felt herself falling backward, flying through space away from the light, and she sighed softly, feeling a strange sort of peace as she fell through the blackness, back toward her own body. Even though they were separated, for that bit of time, she felt as if he had been right there with her. She felt as if she could reach out physically, and he'd be there. In a way, she had been able to touch him, through their link. She found herself being grateful for the bond that they shared, even if it had been an accident.

She didn't know when she came back around, or how long she had been out, but when her eyes opened, a smile crossed her face and she turned her head, looking over at Thundercracker, who had moved closer to her to observe her.

"We leave tonight," she whispered to him, a grin on her face.

* * *

It took a moment for Starscream to come back to his senses, disoriented by the sudden communication. It was far different than what he had imagined, her voice was literally like a soft caress across his spark. It even felt as if she had touched his spark, his very being. It was a feeling that left him shaken, but very much alive. His optics came back to normal brightness, and his vision focused first on Optimus, then on his surroundings. Optimus himself looked rather worried, but curious at the same time. Starscream shifted a bit, grateful that he hadn't fallen over during the entire conversation, and even more grateful that he hadn't lost his sense of balance. He straightened up, looking at Optimus, a slight grin on his face.

"They're going to try and escape tonight." He said simply, forgetting that Optimus and the others didn't know about Thundercracker and Sunstorm. Optimus raised an optic ridge, Ratchet looked at Ironhide, who looked ready to go to battle.

"They?" the semi asked, looking between Starscream and his other two officers, who relaxed instantly at the silent command. Starscream nodded, his wingplates shifting slightly again.

"Yes. It appears that Mikaela has managed to win over two of them. Specifically, my clone brother Sunstorm and Thundercracker." he replied, slightly on the defensive now. He knew Optimus would probably not go for the idea, considering the others had attacked the base. But the semi was full of surprises it seemed. Optimus seemed to think it over, processors whirring quietly, then finally shook his head.

"Starscream...While I am not so sure that is a good idea, we all trust her. If she has decided they are coming with, then we will welcome them." He said finally, ignoring the head shakes of both his medical officer and his weapons specialist. Neither of them, he knew, liked the idea. They thought this was going to be a trap, and all of them would be slagged for it. Bee was gone, so was Sam and Simmons, and if this was a trap, they still had Mikaela, which made matters worse when it came to the Bond. If anything happened to either of them, the result could be disastrous. The one who doesn't get hurt could go into shock, or even into a coma/stasis lock, depending on which one it happened to. Ratchet knew this all too well, as did Ironhide. No one had to be a medic to know the ramifications of what _could _happen if either got hurt. Optimus knew it all too well, also, and he knew he didn't have to speak his mind on that. Everyone knew, but it was a chance they would have to take. "...What time are they going to attempt this?" Optimus asked finally, cutting through everyone's thoughts. Starscream nodded slightly.

"When the rest are in recharge. I'll be contacting her later, or she will try to contact me. I would say early morning hours." He said, privately hoping that their communications would be able to go through. If it worked, they would know when the others were heading out. Optimus nodded after a moment of debate.

"Then lets get ready. We have a possibility of a battle on our hands. Ironhide, I want you to make sure everyone is battle ready. Ratchet, run systems checks on everyone and make sure nothing is out of alignment. That all applies to myself as well. Starscream, let me know the moment you regain contact with Mikaela. I need to know exactly what is going on, and when. If they need our help, I want to make sure they can get it as soon as possible. In the meantime, I will contact Bumblebee and inform them of our situation."

Ironhide, Ratchet and Starscream all nodded in unison, each with their own orders. Ratchet turned to Ironhide and began conversing with him, and they both headed back into the base, both beginning checkups on themselves first, and then they would go to each other. Next in line would be Starscream, then their leader, Optimus. Starscream watched them head in, then looked to Prime who seemed to be already lost in communication with Bumblebee. The jet looked up to the stars, determination filling his spark. So much had happened over the past few weeks. The war was so close to an end, and here he was, bringing it all to an end. Perhaps it wasn't control he wanted...but to be recognized for something great. Maybe this was it. Stopping the war, bringing peace to both sides. He watched as a shooting star shot across the sky, and he, in a human tradition, made a small wish.

_Please...let this work._

* * *

END CHAPTER 22.

A/N: I hate RL. I hate writer's block. I hate distractions. But. I love the fact I finally got this chapter up. There is more to come, and this chapter sets up the next few chapters. BTW. July 31st is the one year anniversary of this story. I am very excited! Thanks to everyone so far for the reviews, the encouragement, and the putting up with my writer's block and whatnot. I love you guys! The next few chapters will be dedicated to all of you!  
-Silverstreak


	24. Chapter 23: Escape

Credits and Motivation go to: Songs include: "Hands", Jewel; "It's My Life", Bon Jovi; "Here with Me", Dido and Enya; "To the Moon and Back", Savage Garden

In Ch 22 I mentioned that I am dedicating the next few chapters to those who have been following this story. So, here is the first of several hereby dedicated to all of you! I love you all, and thank you so much for reading! If you made it this far with my crackheadedness, then you all deserve cookies. And now...

**Chapter 23: Escape**

She couldn't sleep. Her mind was racing, thinking ahead to the upcoming escape. She and Thundercracker had sat for a time hammering out plans and ideas while Sunstorm kept Skywarp and Shockwave busy. Several times they got into an argument, heated hushed tones flying between them as they caught on a snag of the plan, both thinking their idea was the better one. But in the end one would win the other out with either logic of a situation, or by pure stubbornness. But their plan was worked out finally, and Thundercracker had left a few hours ago to try and recharge a bit before they attempted their escape. Thundercracker would wake Sunstorm, and then he would wake Mikaela. Sunstorm, meanwhile, would play guard until Thundercracker and Mikaela were outside. Sunstorm would join them, and they would all take off from there, one of them carrying Mikaela.

She turned on her side, trying to get comfortable. However, the ground beneath her was not as comfortable as she would have liked. She shifted a bit, then turned back to her back again, a slight growl of annoyance slipping from her. The more she fought against her rocky bed, the more she realized it wasn't so much the floor that made her uncomfortable as it was her worry. Her mind was in overdrive, going over the plans again and again...and again. She kept seeing different possibilities, different outcomes, and several of those she really didn't like. Sitting up finally, Mikaela wrapped her arms around her knees, focusing on the darkness in front of her. She had no idea of what time it was, relying purely on her new-found friends to keep things on schedule. She figured that not much time had passed, judging from the fact that it had felt like days had passed already. Her fingers tightened, arms clenching more around her legs, nervousness and anticipation kicking in, adrenaline beginning to rush through her veins.

"...Mikaela."

It was Thundercracker, whispering quietly, not activating any of the dim lights that usually lit the way. To light them would be to cause suspicion. Mikaela's head jerked to her right at the sound of her name, her blood running cold for a split second before realizing who it was. She took a breath, calming slightly, her heart thudding hard in her chest, feeling as it it were going to burst through.

"Dammit, Thundercracker! You scared the shit out of me!" Mikaela hissed back, her own voice lowered. She knew they had to keep as quiet as possible to prevent the others from hearing them, and finding out. Thundercracker gave a quieted exasperated sigh, his intakes whirring slightly. The sound of mechanisms working told her that he was moving around a bit, whether it be an arm, or just shifting. The only light she saw was the light of his red optics, dimmed, though, to not draw as much attention.

"Mikaela, we need to move. If we're going to do this, we have to do it now." He replied, his voice just barely above a whisper. His dimmed red optics flickered and moved about, disappearing for an instant, then reappearing as the jet looked around. Mikaela nodded, carefully and quietly moving to stand up. "Can you contact Starscream again at all? If you can, tell him we are on the move." the F-117 hissed quietly, optics periodically disappearing. He was constantly checking to make sure that they weren't followed or being watched by anyone other than Sunstorm. Skywarp and Shockwave were down the hall, each in their own quarters, deep in recharge. There was a soft gold glow in a general humanoid shape that indicated where Sunstorm was, just a few steps away from either room, his abnormal energy giving him the golden aura in the darkness. Mikaela moved toward the sound of Thundercracker's voice, nodding to herself thoughtfully.

"I can try, but I only succeeded that once because I was relaxed and not focusing on contacting him. I don't know if it will work again." She said, bumping into the jet's foot. Thundercracker bent down a bit, his vision allowing him to see in the dark as he placed his hand next to her.

"Climb on. And try. If we need their help-"

"No pressure. Got it." She said, cutting Thundercracker off as she climbed onto his hand. It was a different feeling from Starscream's hand, as their alt forms were completely different. She grabbed onto a panel of armor on one of his fingers for an anchor, not exactly wanting to suddenly fall fifteen or twenty feet to the ground. She closed her eyes as Thundercracker gave off an odd noise, and realized a second later that he was stifling a laugh at her comment. "..Save it. Let's get out of here first." She said, trying to focus, trying to see that ball of energy again. Seconds passed to minutes, and still no luck as they reached outside finally. She opened her eyes, looking around as her eyes adjusted to the dim light of the half moon and the stars shining. At least she could see now. She shook her head in annoyance. "I can't get through to him. I can't make that connection again." She finally said, her voice portraying her frustration. Thundercracker moved away from the cave opening, sliding along the rock-face that surrounded the opening to keep from being seen immediately should something happening. So far, everything except for one thing was falling into place according to plan.

"Keep trying, Mikaela." He said simply, comming Sunstorm to meet them outside. Mikaela looked up at him and glared, clenching hard at the piece of armor she was holding. If he were her height, she would have tried smacking him upside the head for that. In any other situation, she would have found the thought a bit funny. But right now, she was serious.

"I DON'T have the same abilities as you, remember?" she growled out, her voice a bit louder now. "I can't just flip a switch and--" she stopped mid-sentence, her eyes going wide. "...or..." Mikaela mumbled, half to herself. Starscream had managed to break through, contacting her, instead. Thundercracker had to let out a quiet laugh at that as he pressed against the rocks, trying to conceal himself.

"What was that about flipping switches?"

Mikaela only glared at him as she focused, her attention turning back to Starscream.

* * *

/Mikaela?/ Starscream asked, reaching across their Bond in hopes of contacting her again. He was being cautious, letting only a tendril of thought snake through, trying to touch her thoughts. Further...further...there! He felt as if he had slipped into a perfect notch, a place he felt comfortable. Within that comfortable, warm feeling was Mikaela's presence, a soft, pale blue-green glow of energy floating all around him. It was different than the spark-like image she had seen, and seemed to make him weightless. He called out again gently, letting himself settle in the soft warmth that surrounded him. Within seconds, little pinpoints of light suddenly surrounded him, her voice seeming to come from all around.

/Star? How did you...?/ She asked, facing the spark again in her own mind's eye. He had both hands once again immersed in the soft light, the tendrils caressing her arms gently again. She shook her head, remembering that they were leaving...within the next few minutes. /...Nevermind. Star, we're about to leave. I'm outside with Thundercracker, and when Sunstorm gets out here, we're leaving./ Mikaela waved her fingers slowly through the ball of energy as her hands rested inside of it up to her wrists, her palms facing each other. Unlike Starscream's true spark, this one didn't burn her, only tickled her arms and warmed her. It was a feeling she enjoyed, even though the current situation called for a bit of urgency.

Starscream, on the other hand, felt every movement as if she really _were_touching his spark. From the outside, his optics offlined, but from within, he gave off a small whine. /Mikaela...whatever you're doing...stop it. Now _really_ isn't the time.../ he said, not realizing that she had no idea that she was even affecting him that way. On her side, Mikaela stiffened, freezing, suddenly very aware of what she had done. She found herself grinning and trying not to laugh at the situation, but a bit of a grin and a hint of laughter escaped, floating through their connection.

/..Sorry, Star...I didn't realize../ She grinned, staring at the mock-spark in front of her. She shook her head, fighting the urge to do it again in light of the current situation that they were in. She made herself focus, and kept her hands still. Starscream relaxed, the soft energy surrounding him playing a pale blue-green light across his ethereal form.

/It's alright. You're coming, then?/ He asked, trying to get back to the situation at hand. He was preparing already to pull back, and let Optimus know what was going on. He felt Mikaela become slightly distracted, and began to wonder if everything was alright. Thankfully, he didn't have to wonder for very long, as she came back, her voice coming through a bit more nervous and anxious, the tiny fireflies of light bouncing and flitting about him.

/Yes. Sunstorm just came out. We'll be leaving within the minute, they're getting ready to transform./ Mikaela informed him, becoming a bit more distracted again. Starscream took in a short breath, ready to pull back.

/Alright. I am going to head out to meet you three. Optimus and the others will either be at the base waiting for us, or they will follow me./ the jet informed her. /Make sure they know I am coming. I don't feel like being shot down./ he added, with a mock-sour tone. Mikaela laughed a bit at that through their connection, beginning to slide her hands away.

/I will. I need to go. They're ready to leave./ She said hastily, feeling the pressure from the other two jets. They needed to get going, before the other two realized they were gone. Mikaela sent a sensation of love over the bond as best she could, still very new at the whole communicating thing. But it got through, though somewhat jumbled. Starscream knew what she meant, but before he could return it, her presence left, cut off by the need to leave immediately. The space around him grew dark, and he began to withdraw from the link, pulling himself back to reality. It was still a very dizzying sensation, his vision pixelating as he came back. As soon as he could, however, he opened up a commlink to Optimus, informing him of the current events.

:Optimus. They're on their way.: Starscream said quickly, already heading for the main entrance, intending to take off. :I'm heading out to meet them.: Optimus's answer came back quickly.

:Very well. If anything goes wrong, inform me at once. We'll head out and meet you.: There was a slight pause, possibly hesitation on Optimus's part, but then, :Good luck.: Starscream nodded to himself, the main entrance doors flinging open as he walked out into the cool desert night air. He took one look at the sky, then fired his thrusters and took to the air, transforming when he was high enough and speeding off in the direction that he had sensed Mikaela at, determined to not let anything get in the way this time.

* * *

Optimus leaned back against the wall in the mess hall where he, Ratchet and Ironhide were, Starscream taking off in a little flash of a blip in his sensors. His spark felt heavy for some reason, as if he had just made a wrong decision. His intakes cycled a bit as he sighed, his optics dimming. Ironhide was preoccupied by cleaning out his cannons for the hundredth time in the space of six hours, convinced that they weren't tuned enough. Parts were all over the ground as he hand cleaned each part, then properly lubricated each piece, placing them all back together in the correct order. Besides practicing activating his cannons, this was another nervous and anxiety-driven act. He was ready for a battle that he was certain was going to come. Maybe it was the way his spark pulsed, maybe it was the way he seemed more alert, or perhaps it was the way his hip acted up slightly, but in any case, he knew it meant an oncoming battle. Warrior's intuition, many had come to call it. A seasoned and skilled warrior such as himself could sense a battle coming days in advance, just as a weathered human sailor could sense a bad storm coming when the skies were clear as far as the eye -or optic- could see. This case was no exception. He was certain there was a battle coming, but what made it worse was he had a bad feeling about it. He shook his head slightly to himself, wiping off another part and oiling it again, not completely satisfied. Deep down, it felt like his entire being ached with a strange sort of pressure. The last time he had felt this, many around him were wounded badly, and a few lost their lives, their sparks returning to Primus Himself. Optimus had been watching Ironhide, even though the aged warrior had paid no mind to that. But to Optimus, Ironhide's actions were more often like an indicator to the leader, the weapon's specialist's level if fidgeting or cleaning of his cannons a good way of knowing what the other mech felt. And by seeing how much cleaning he was doing, Optimus didn't feel any better. Never had Ironhide been wrong about a battle, and when the Topkick had said earlier that a bad fight was coming, he believed it.

The problem was, no one knew when, or how bad it was going to be. Ratchet came over to Optimus, running a few scans as he had requested. He knew that Optimus was bothered by something, and knowing that he probably couldn't do anything about it infuriated him a bit. He sat down finally, the scans complete and everything appearing in order. Optimus turned to look at him, his optics dimmed and already weary-looking.

"Is everyone ready, Ratchet?" He asked simply, cutting right to business. His first and foremost obligation was to make sure that everyone was in top condition before a battle if he could help it. Ratchet nodded, lifting a bit of worry off of his friend's shoulders.

"Yes. You were the last one I needed to scan. As with everyone else, all systems are operating normally, all weapons systems are well above operating standards. Hydraulics and balancing systems are within the top 2 percent of operating efficiency. Armor has no major stress fractures, spark casing is at one hundred percent capability, and all other systems are functioning correctly." Ratchet said, rattling off the major systems that would likely be affected during a battle, nodding slightly at each one as if reinspecting the results. Optimus nodded absently, still watching Ironhide's incessant cleaning.

"Thank you, old friend." the semi said quietly. Ratchet raised a questioning optic ridge at Optimus, curious as to why he would say that now.

"..Optimus..?"

The great Autobot leader merely shook his head. "We're coming to what I would hope is the end of this war, Ratchet. You, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Jazz and the others that have not made it here yet...you were, and still are, friends before officers to me." He said gently, knowing that the mention of Jazz would strike them all through. But Jazz did not deserve to be forgotten. He, along with many, many others that had lost their lives in this war deserved the highest respects for fighting what they all believed in. Peace, and maybe even a new home. So far, it appeared that Earth may very well be their new home, at least for the time being. Peace seemed to be finally forming, though it would still be a long time before that concept fell completely into place. Ratchet looked off to the side at the mention of Jazz, and even Ironhide paused in his cleaning. In old Cybertronian, the weapons specialist spoke an ancient prayer quietly for their fallen comrade. It was short, but well deserved, even if they didn't have a proper ceremony to commemorate their friend's passing. Both Optimus and Ratchet fell silent when Ironhide spoke, letting the ancient words flow through them. To Optimus, the small prayer was a great consolation to him. It meant that their home would never be forgotten, their old ways would never be forgotten, and neither would their old friends long since gone.

Ironhide finished his small prayer finally, pausing again, optics offlined for a brief moment. He used that moment to reflect on his friend, and then took back to cleaning, though his actions were much more subdued. Ratchet looked back at Optimus, just watching him now. The semi remained quiet for a few more moments before breaking the silence again, albeit quietly.

"It is your friendship and devotion to our fight to bring peace to our race that has kept me from falling so many times," he said, meaning everyone he had ever known, everyone he had ever had the honor of fighting with. "I have watched many fall in my time, as I am certain that you and Ironhide have had your share of watching others fall. But for them, I will do what I can to make sure that we achieve our hopes and goals of peace between us all." He finished finally, a soft sigh escaping him, though there was an air of determination about him now. Ratchet looked at him and smiled a bit, reaching up and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"They will be remembered, Optimus. You needn't worry about that." the medic said consolingly. Optimus turned to look at his long-time friend, and smiled.

"Yes, they will." He nodded in agreement, silently vowing to remember them all in one way or another. "But for now, we must look out for those that are still with us, human and Cybertronian alike," he continued, his voice growing stronger. Ironhide paused in his cleaning for a moment, looking to Optimus again, listening. "We may very well have mechs join the ranks of the Autobots tonight. Let's hope this is the beginning of the end of our war."

* * *

Had the sound of jet engines roaring past at breakneck speeds not disrupted the quiet night air, one might have heard the wind whistle around Starscream's frame as he bolted through the air, his sensors locked on two other jets in the distance. As he flew, his processors kept going over the past few weeks. He was still stunned as he replayed the scene when he had come back out of stasis lock after Ratchet and Mikaela had repaired him. He remembered his shock and mistrust at the Autobots, and the confusion over the small human female helping to repair him. He remembered standing outside the mess hall, listening to Mikaela yell at Ironhide about Jazz, and about how helping Starscream was a perfect opportunity to start fixing things. He remembered the conversation he had with her afterward, and mentally smiled to himself at her explanation of an oxymoron. The idea perplexed him and yet made sense to him. And how she had described military intelligence as an oxymoron? Back then, he would never have found that funny. But now, he found it amusing. He ran forward in his recent memories, remembering how they had gotten closer. He remembered the flight to sub-orbit, remembering the akward situation it had created. He remembered how they both had begun to realize that they were actually beginning to feel for each other. The battle, however, had pretty much cinched it for the both of them. Mikaela asking him to not get hurt. Starscream being hit and nearly killed. Mikaela creating an accidental Bond in an attempt to save his life. Even now, he was still getting used to the fact that he was Bonded. He never imagined, however, it would be with someone not of his own race. He didn't hate it, not at all. It was just...different. Not at all what he thought it would be like. In fact...it was far more wonderful than what he had imagined. Starscream found himself thinking that he would never trade it in for anything. Ever.

Starscream dipped down as the other two jets zipped closer, flying underneath them by two feet. As he cleared them, he pulled up and banked off to the left, coming around in a wide circle and flipping over them, wingtip over wingtip. As he maneuvered over the other two, his sensors locked onto Mikaela, who was safe and sound within Thundercracker's cockpit. Instantly relief washed over him, incredibly thankful that she was alright, and even more thankful that the two others had decided to help her. He finally settled into a flight pattern next to Thundercracker, their course fixed for the makeshift base.

"Took you long enough, Starscream," Thundercracker taunted via external speakers, still unable to help teasing the Wing Commander. Starscream swayed close to Thundercracker's wing, but didn't tap it like he usually did when the other got on his circuts bad enough because of Mikaela being in Thundercracker's care.

"Watch it, or you'll wake from recharge to find your thrusters stuffed with sealing compound," Starscream threatened, pulling back away from the other, resuming the normal course for the base. Thundercracker laughed at the comment.

"Don't make me laugh, Starscream. You're so noisy that you'd wake even the deepest recharger. You wouldn't even get near my room without me waking up." the black jet retorted, humor underlying his tone. It was nice, really, to be able to banter back and forth again like old times. He had missed it. Before, it was always business and the war that they had talked about. Hardly ever were there any times of play or teasing. If there was, it was during a cause for celebration, and even then, that was short. Thundercracker found himself missing Skywarp in this moment, as the three would always argue back and forth, always teasing. Sunstorm was always quiet, and thus no fun in these times, just like now. Skywarp, however, was always the prankster and joker of them all, and his comebacks were always ones that smarted the worst for either himself or Starscream. Neither had been able to ever get in a wise-crack that was good enough to outdo the teleporter. At least...not yet.

Mikaela, seated safe and sound within Thundercracker's cockpit, heard the entire conversation and was laughing. She was very relieved to see that Starscream had indeed come after them, and was basically guiding them back to the base. She felt more relaxed now, but she worried still what would happen when Skywarp and Shockwave found out that the three of them had gone missing. The thought made her stomach turn in nervousness, and she shifted a bit in her seat, dispite the exchange of words outside.

After a few minutes more of idle threats and meaningless arguing, the two jets fell silent, joining Sunstorm in the peacefulness of the return flight back to the base. It gave Mikaela time to focus again, attempting to contact Starscream through their link once again. It was more practice than anything else, considering that she had only managed to contact him once, and he contacted her once. She let herself relax, her eyes closed again, letting herself fall slowly into that calm darkness further and further. Her heart rate dropped, and her breathing slowed to a level equivalent to that of someone in a deep sleep, though she was aware enough to know what was going on. Soon, though, she saw that soft blue light again, and smiled to herself. As soon as she was within reach, she brushed her fingers across the surface of the light, calling out softly to Starscream.

He faultered slightly, his altitude dropping by a few feet. Her contacting him was not what he had expected. He let out a slight groan, gaining altitude again. _Gonna take time getting used to this..._he mused to himself, wondering how he could figure out when she was trying to contact him, or if she could figure out some other way of contacting him other than whatever it was she was doing that ended up tormenting him, whether it be by accident or on purpose. He let himself sink mentally again, but managed to keep himself conscious enough to make sure he knew where he was going. He reached back through their bond, contacting her as well. It was a calming and peaceful feeling, to be able to do that with her. The contact was light and short, mainly just enough to be a reassurance to each other, which was something both of them needed.

The base finally came into view, the mountain behind it looming before them. All three jets increased speed, afterburners blazing in the night sky. All of them, including Mikaela, were anxious to get back to safety before something happened. Each one of them knew what could happen, and they wanted to be somewhere they could make a stand. It wasn't so much a question of if rather than a question of _when _they would get attacked. What made matters worse was the fact that they would have no warning. Starscream opened up a secured commlink to Optimus, informing him of their imminent arrival. Optimus replied quickly, telling them nothing other than to return as quickly as possible. Considering the circumstances, neither party wanted to give too much information, should there be any taps into anyone's communications systems. Even though it was unlikely, they were still dealing with Shockwave, and that was more than enough incentive to keep things down a bit, considering the amount of knowledge and strength the Decepticon had. Sure, the Autobots had been able to take him out in the last battle, but the next time around...they wouldn't be so lucky.

* * *

Optimus, Ratchet and Ironhide all stood outside, waiting anxiously but patiently for the three jets to arrive, their afterburners already visible in the night sky. They had been outside for a short time now, and Ironhide was fidgeting already. The whole thing just didn't feel right to him. Two out of three opposing flyers were coming to their side? There had to be something else going on. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, waiting, though impatiently. Ratchet looked over at the fidgety weapons specialist, reaching up and placing a hand on his shoulder in support.

"Calm down. Optimus knows what he's doing. Remember that." the medic said quietly, trying to reassure the Topkick. Optimus heard Ratchet and smiled to himself. Without even knowing it, Ratchet was reassuring the both of them. The medic had a strange way of doing that. Int the early days of the war, Ratchet had always been there like a comforting shadow behind everyone. He helped many others, not just by repairs, but by words as well. There were many medics in the Cybertronian race, but few had the trait that Ratchet did. Besides healing others by repairs and words, he gave strength to those who were frightened or lost in their own processors. War had a sad tendency to do that to others. Ratchet, as well as everyone else in the war, had seen friends and comrades be deactivated for good. Some, like Ratchet, Ironhide, Optimus and a few others, had managed to deal with it in their own way. Ironhide could often be found in a deserted place practicing his shots. Ratchet would be found in whatever passed for a medbay at the time, either running diagnostics or repairing his medical tools. Optimus was often out by himself, just thinking over the past, remembering old friends and silently vowing to never forget them. Bumblebee would play around, joking and keeping up moral. Jazz...Jazz had his own cryptic way of keeping himself from succumbing to the repetition of battle and death. With every culture and planet they visited, he would acquire a collection of music to listen to. The beat, the tune and the feeling behind each song from every planet had helped the second in command immensely. He found many pieces of music that seemed to keep in time with the natural resonance of his spark. Oftentimes, though no one knew, Jazz would have a certain playlist of music that he had running deep within his processors that no one else could hear while he was out on the battlefield. His attacks were always fluid and precise, like dance steps. In a sense, they were. From the outside, Jazz appeared a very skilled and practiced warrior. But from within, Jazz was letting the music move him, letting it direct him. And more often than not, it got the job done. Battles with him were often short, only about half or a third of a breem long, with Jazz always winning the day. Optimus always suspected Jazz was somewhat in his own little world when it came to fighting, even though his Second could give and take orders easily and often came up with split second strategies that worked. Truth was, the music inspired Jazz. The leader knew of Jazz's fascination with music and wondered if he had gotten the time to sample this planet's rich and wide variety of music. But knowing him, he had already downloaded several thousand songs by the time the Mission City battle had occurred. Optimus himself had taken to giving a few songs a listen on Jazz's behalf since his death, and began to understand why his Second loved music so much. Some songs beat in perfect harmony to his spark's resonance, just as they had with Jazz. It calmed him, chased away self-doubts of being a leader, and gave him strength. Optimus allowed himself a light chuckle; if he wasn't careful, he would become as music-crazed as Jazz had been.

Behind him, Ratchet and Ironhide were quietly discussing strategy should something occur. It was more Ironhide discussing, as he had been running his processors into the ground with different ideas to distract himself from the anxiety and worry about a battle he still insisted was coming. Ratchet knew this, and obliged to help work out kinks in the specialist's plans. It was yet another show of one of Ratchet's many ways of healing. This time, it was keeping his friend distracted to keep him from overloading in anxiety. Granted, Ratchet knew Ironhide could handle it in the end, but he wasn't about to ignore the other because of that knowledge. Everyone needed someone to talk to, and he was always there when someone needed him for whatever reason.

"Heads up, they're coming in," Optimus announced, stepping back a bit towards the others. Ironhide and Ratchet looked up, their conversation ceasing instantly. Three pairs of afterburners blazed toward them, the roar of jet engines filling the air. Almost simultaneously, Sunstorm and Starscream unfolded from their alt forms in mid-air, metal and armor shifting within seconds to reveal their true forms. Both jets landed on their feet, whereas Thundercracker extended his landing gear and landed with a screech of protest from his tires, quickly coming to a stop. Mikaela was already unbound from the safety harness and was ready to jump out by the time that the F-117 had come to a complete stop. Thundercracker finally popped the hatch, the canopy opening with a slight his of hydraulics.

"Thank you, Thundercracker," Mikaela said gratefully as she climbed out, stepping onto the jet's wing and looking back at the cockpit.

"You're welcome, now get off my wing so I can transform." He replied, his voice carrying a slight hint of teasing. Since capturing her, he and Mikaela had become friends, especially after she had talked to him about the war. She picked up on that and laughed, rubbing a now-bare arm and kneeling down on his wing, gripping the edge as she launched off, letting go completely and landing on her feet. Behind her, the jet transformed, unfolding to his full height, metal shifting and scraping against itself as each armor plate shifted into place. Thundercracker, at his full height, stood a bit taller than his companions. But Mikaela wasn't watching him. Instead, her eyes were on Starscream, a soft smile playing on her face. She watched as Optimus and Ratchet approached Starscream while Ironhide had a cannon at the ready, but didn't aim it at anyone...just yet. He was watching Thundercracker and Sunstorm, though, not willing to let the two Decepticons out of his sight. Sunstorm moved over to Thundercracker, his own wingplates held in a very readable defensive position.

"I do not feel particularly welcome here," the irradiated jet said quietly to Thundercracker. Mikaela, who stood in front of them, turned and looked up at the two of them, a slight frown on her face.

"Well, you two ARE Decepticons, and it will take time for them to trust you. It wouldn't hurt to go say hello, you know." She replied, even though she wasn't the one Sunstorm had spoken to. She paused a moment to look at them before turning back to head to ther others. Thundercracker and Sunstorm looked at each other, red optics meeting golden ones, and both shrugged. What harm could it do at this point? They both turned finally and began to walk towards Starscream and the Autobots, letting Mikaela stay ahead of them. Which, of course, meant they were walking somewhat slow, but by letting Mikaela lead, they showed they were not there as a threat.

* * *

"Welcome back, Starscream," Optimus said as soon as he got close enough. "I trust everything went well?" He inquired, pausing before the other. Ratchet moved to Starscream's other side, beginning diagnostics immediately. Starscream looked at him, raising an optic ridge, but otherwise doing nothing. He knew Ratchet was only doing as he was asked. Even though Starscream's systems had been checked already, the flight could have thrown something out of alignment.

"As well as one could expect," Starscream responded, optics settling on the small figure of Mikaela. He didn't move yet, letting Ratchet continue his scans. For the first time, Starscream noticed that Mikaela's arms were bare. She had taken off the bandages, leaving the now-brown burn marks out in the open. While he said nothing about it, he privately wondered why she took them off in front of Thundercracker and Sunstorm. _Oh, right, _he thought to himself. _Of course they know about the Bond. How else could they have planned the escape and the plan to meet me? _He shifted slightly in his spot, waiting for Ratchet to finish.

"Good. Did you get any readings on the other two? Skywarp and Shockwave?" The Autobot Leader asked, anxious to see if he could determine if they were being followed already. Starscream, thankfully, shook his head.

"Not particularly. I _did _pick up minor energy readings to the northwest of us where Thundercracker and Sunstorm had come from, but other than that, no. Nothing extreme." the F-22 replied, going over earlier data readings he had taken quickly as he headed toward the other two jets. Optimus nodded thoughtfully, looking over at the two new arrivals, who were looking down at Mikaela, then looking at each other and shrugging. Ratchet, satisfied that everything was in order, stepped away finally.

"All systems are functioning normally, Starscream. Nothing was jarred or thrown out of sync while you were away." the medic reported, being just loud enough for Optimus to hear as well. Starscream nodded.

"Thank you, Ratchet," he said, his optics shifting to some movement in the distance.

"Optimus." Ironhide nodded at their guests as they began to walk toward them, following Mikaela. Optimus turned to look, then nodded, looking at Ironhide.

"Stand down, Ironhide. Until otherwise proven, they are friends." the semi said, raising a hand slightly to his weapon's specialist. Ironhide let out a low growl of reluctance, and he finally withdrew his cannon, everything slipping back into his arm, his hand coming back into view. Optimus nodded reassurance and approval. He understood why the Topkick was so on edge. But for now, the other two jets had proven themselves so far, and he saw no need to treat them as anything other than friends. Ironhide remained on guard, however, ready to act at a moment's notice, but didn't outwardly show it. Optimus knew, of course, but he said nothing more to the matter, trusting in his companion.

* * *

It was hard. Very hard not to break out into a run and head right for the mech she had inadvertently Bonded to. She didn't want to seem overly anxious, but even still she broke into a slow trot for a few steps before slowing back down to a brisk walk. Ratchet stepped away finally, heading back to Optimus, and Ironhide withdrew his cannon. She smiled in relief. There would be no immediate fighting. Starscream saw her as she walked to him and he knelt down for her, waiting, lowering his hand as she got closer. His own spark pulsed a bit at seeing her again. Once again, he was grateful for Thundercracker and his own clone for keeping her safe.

"Star..." Mikaela whispered as she finally came into contact with him again, her arms sliding around his forefinger and holding on for a moment. She didn't say anything else, just savoring the moment. Starscream watched her, the feel of her arms around his finger sending small shocks through him, which never ceased to amaze him. He smiled softly, ignoring any looks that the others may be giving them. After a moment, Mikaela finally let go and crawled into his hand, gripping at armor for support. He raised his hand up, leveling her with his face. He saw the happy and relieved look on her face and smiled again softly.

"I'm glad you're safe," he said quietly. Mikaela smiled more, standing slowly to keep her balance and reaching out gently, her fingers brushing against a cheekplate. His optics dimmed as she did that, a low, almost inaudible rumbling escaping him. She heard it, and grinned.

"You're purring," she teased, laughing just a bit, her smile brightening her eyes, seeming to give them a glow all to their own. The purring sound stopped, replaced by a soft, playful growl as Starscream's optics brightened again.

"Am not," He said indignantly, feigning to be threatened by the idea of sounding like an animal that was indigenous to this planet, the cat. A fuzzy, fluffy small animal that made soft rumbling noises when being petted or when happy. He was far from small, and definitely _not_ fuzzy. But Mikaela knew better. She grinned again, and leaned forward, placing a soft kiss right next to her hand. The action produced the response she was after; he started up that quiet sound again.

"Mm, yes you are." She grinned as she pulled back, noting dimmed optics yet again. She found herself looking at him, just taken aback yet again by their unusual situation. It had been hard for both of them to understand it all, but both found themselves willing to try, despite the odds. Starscream growled again, optics brightening again, and he pulled her away from his face a bit in a teasing manner, and stared at her.

"I am- what?" His optics focused somewhere for a split second before all hell broke loose.

* * *

END CHAPTER 23.

Well, now. Back to cliffhangers again. -grins-

I hope you all enjoyed this one. 24 is coming up soon!


	25. Chapter 24: Twilight

_Credits and Motivation go to:_ **Songs include:**"Final Countdown", Europe; "Break Stuff", Limp Bizkit; "Bad to the Bone", Lynard Skynard **Energy drinks:**ROCKSTAR: JUICED. **Other motivation:** THE REVIEWS! -heart-

Thanks again to everyone following this! This next one is shorter and fast-paced, but enjoy! And now...

**Chapter 24: Twilight**

Ironhide fell first, a sickening scream emanating from him as a shower of sparks and energon went flying in all directions, the point of origin being the middle of his back. His optics flickered and shorted out, one leg giving out as numerous systems were cut off by the explosion. Behind him as he fell, a pair of red optics flashed out in a burst of dust that dissipated into nothing. Starscream saw this, and growled, leaning down and letting Mikaela get off his hand. She stepped under him, her eyes wide and shocked. After a split second, she thought better of the decision to be under him and looked around, seeing the open door of the base. Looking around, she made a mad dash for the door, praying she would make it.

Behind her, everything erupted into chaos. Optimus whirled, his cannon appearing in a flash of silver, red and blue shifting and forming around his arm. Starscream raised his own hand, metal and armor sliding around and forming his launchers. Ratchet ducked down, his knees hitting the ground with a loud thud and a creak of metal as he landed by Ironhide, scans already running. Thundercracker and Sunstorm launched into the air at nearly the same time, both of their own weapons coming into view. Off to the left, another burst of dust appeared and for a split second, another mech could be seen. It aimed at Optimus and fired within a split second, two missiles streaking through the air at the Autobot Leader. They sailed over Ratchet by bare inches as he ducked again, yelling out for Optimus to watch out. The other mech disappeared yet again in another burst of swirling dust.

The missiles exploded in a shower of fire and shrapnel just a few feet from the semi, the shockwave hitting him and knocking him backward. Thankfully, Optimus wasn't severely damaged, only a few pieces of armor were dented as he was knocked to the ground. He looked around, trying to figure out who had stopped the missiles. Starscream had aimed, but none of his own had been fired. Thundercracker was staring at Sunstorm, who's energy aura had increased a bit. One hand was out, but in a fist. The look on his face said everything. The irradiated jet had numerous abilities due to his fusion core. Electromagnetic field manipulation was one of them. Accelerated healing was another. In this case, he had destroyed the missiles by reaching out with his own EM field and crushing it around them. His range for this ability wasn't very far, but the missiles were close enough for him to affect them. Optimus looked up at him and nodded a quick thanks, looking around for the attacker again, sensors on full alert.

Sunstorm, though, was the next to fall. A precise shot between his wingplates on his back, above the thrusters proved to be near fatal as he burst into flames and sparks, falling for the ground. Starscream and Thundercracker both bolted for the falling jet, trying to cut down the damage to their wingmate. Starscream, however, saw the attacker hovering in the air, thrusters on full, watching as Sunstorm plummeted. Thundercracker continued down after the burning jet, whereas Starscream raised his launchers and fired, twin projectiles with a name written on them.

The missiles would never reach their destination, as Skywarp disappeared yet again in a burst of dust. Following the lead of Shockwave, he went after mechs in the order that the intelligence officer relayed. First was Ironhide, the next, of course, was Optimus. But when Sunstorm had destroyed Skywarp's missiles, plans changed. The radioactive jet had to be taken out. He was too much of an advantage to the enemy. Shockwave didn't wish to destroy his creation, but logic dictated that as the clone had deviated from the Decepticon path by protecting Optimus, he had to be incapacitated. Skywarp followed given orders without a question, preparing to go after the next mech on Shockwave's list.

Mechs can't be repaired if the medic is offlined, now can they?

* * *

Ratchet was hovering over Ironhide, hardly having much time to do anything as Optimus had been fired at, and then Sunstorm. The movements of the enemy were fast. Too fast. He forced himself to focus at the task at hand, his hands already wrist-deep in circuits, armor and energon as he worked feverishly to repair the damage to Ironhide's back. It was field work, and it would be more of a quick-fix than a permanent job, but in this situation, he had to do this quickly if Ironhide was to survive the blast. He heard shouts of surprised and angry mechs, all trying to take aim at the dusting intruder. He put the sounds to the back of his processors, keeping his sensors on full just in case.

He continued working, managing to piece together a few wires and fuel lines before he heard a _pfft _sound behind him. He froze, every single alarm going off in his processors as a sudden blip appeared in his radar. The blip was right behind him. Almost instantly, he fell to one side, his energon-covered hands sliding out of Ironhide's damaged back as one hand formed into a sawblade. He lashed out as he rolled, feeling a satisfying crunch of his blade into armor, drawing out a shriek of pain from the other mech. Another _pfft _and Skywarp had disappeared again, most likely with the intent to regroup and try again. Ratchet sat up quickly, withdrawing his sawblade and heading back over to Ironhide. He knew he was being targeted now, and yet he still had to do what he could to get Ironhide back up and running. He plunged his hands into the cannonslinger's back again, continuing to repair him as fast as he was able.

Optimus rushed over to Ratchet, seeing the quick flurry of movements and attacks that just transpired. He knew, too, that Ratchet was now a target, and he would do what he could to keep his friend and medic from being taken out. He sent out a comm to Starscream and Thundercracker, not bothering with Sunstorm as the clone was now out of commission, to help him guard Ratchet and Ironhide. Sunstorm was severely damaged, but with only one medic, there was nothing anyone could do. For now, though, his fusion core was still stable...but there was no telling just how long that would last. Starscream took note of the comm, turning heading over to Optimus, taking to the air for an aerial advantage. Thundercracker looked at Sunstorm for a split second, growling in frustration, and headed over to Optimus as well, helping to form a barrier around the medic.

Mikaela watched with a horrified look at everything that was going on. It was like watching Skywarp appear and blast Starscream out of the sky all over again. The thought made her sick to her stomach. She never wanted to go through that again, to watch him or anyone else get attacked like that. But here she was, seeing it. Ironhide. Sunstorm. Possibly others, as well, if they weren't careful. She saw Sunstorm laying on the ground a short distance away, energon leaking and sparks flying from the wound in the jet's back. She covered her mouth with her hand and looked away. The fact that Sunstorm was basically a replica of Starscream and seeing that just brought back too many memories of the last battle. She closed her eyes, leaning her forehead against the door that had been propped open.

With Starscream, Thundercracker and Optimus surrounding him, he knew he stood a little bit more of a chance. His hands were soaked in energon, but numerous connections, wires and fuel lines were repaired already. The leaking had mostly stopped, but the weapons specialist was still offline. He ran more scans, trying to find the reason why he was still offline. He found more disconnected cables up in the area of the other's neck and groaned. Those were some of the most delicate wires to work on. He could certainly use Mikaela's help right now...

The medic growled softly to himself, looking around. Mikaela was nowhere in sight. He figured that she had gone into hiding. _Smart girl_, he mused for a second, optics resting on the open door of the base. From his angle, he could only see just slightly inside, not even the whole other door was in his view. He shook his head and glanced upward, seeing Starscream hovering higher in the air, thrusters keeping him afloat. He was still doing what he could to provide aerial support, his sensors on high alert.

"Starscream! I need you to locate Mikaela! I need her help!" Ratchet yelled, his voice relaying the urgency of the situation. But no sooner than he had spoken Skywarp appeared again, this time right behind Starscream.

It was almost like he felt it before he heard it, a split-second disturbance in the air behind him before the slight _pfft _sound was picked up by his audials. Because he, Skywarp and Thundercracker had all been in the same Trine since shortly after the war started, each of them had learned much of their wingmates' weaknesses and strengths. Skywarp's slight disturbance and the sound was his one warning that he was near you before you got hit with something. Usually it was being pushed. But today, the threat was far more deadly. Skywarp, when he put his processors to it, was a very, very deadly adversary. His teleporting ability gave him so much of an advantage in battle that it was very rare for an opponent to escape him, as proven with Ironhide and even Sunstorm. Ratchet had been either lucky, or Skywarp had been slightly on the slow side. Either way, when his teleporting was properly used, he was almost unstoppable.

Starscream, upon sensing the disturbance and hearing the sound, shot straight up in an attempt to escape his once-friend. He barely made it. Skywarp had fired right as he appeared, the dust effect hardly having time to disappear before two missiles left his launchers. Starscream moving when he did was probably the best thing he could have done all day. One missile slid right between his feet, the other shot to the right of his right foot. But he didn't escape completely unscathed. The heat and flame from both singed his his armor, pain lancing up his leg. He growled as he spun in the air, his launchers coming into point-blank range of Skywarp.

"Traitors."

It was all Skywarp said as he teleported out yet again, leaving in another cloud of dust. Starscream had fired right before he began to teleport, but the missiles just shot through the dust, slicing through the air and blowing a crater in the concrete below not far from the others. Thundercracker was closest to the blast, and when he realized what was happening, he turned his back to the blast and positioned himself between the blast and the others, using his body as a shield from the debris that went flying everywhere. Rocks and dirt hit him, but Ironhide and Ratchet were unharmed. Optimus had ducked down, joining Thundercracker in the shielding attempt.

"Slaggit, Starscream! Watch where you are firing!" Ratchet yelled looking up at the jet in the sky. He was infuriated at the entire situation. He needed more time, and time was not on their side. Lack of time made Ratchet a cranky medic, and this was no exception.

"Ratchet, I-" Starscream started, trying to explain, but was cut off abruptly by Ratchet.

"Just go get Mikaela! Or do SOMETHING to get her attention! Primus!" Ratchet swore, returning to trying to do what he could to help Ironhide more. Optimus spared Ratchet a quick glance, raising an optic ridge. It was rare to see Ratchet so upset. But when he was, everyone had better do as they were told. He had a reputation for bringing more mechs to the medbay when he was upset rather than fixing them. Though Optimus had never seen this happen, he figured the legends had to have started somewhere. Above them, Starscream growled impatiently, mentally dipping directly into his and Mikaela's bond. It was risky, as several factors could happen. One, Skywarp could realize what was going on and use the connection between the two against everyone. Two, his sudden connection, if successful, could cause Mikaela pain. To what extent, he didn't know. But right now...if he left his station, they would be vulnerable from above. He didn't have a choice. While managing to keep a sharp awareness of his surroundings, he forced his thoughts through the bond, coming into contact with Mikaela's mind rather fast. Even now, it was a comforting feeling, despite the force he needed to use to get her attention.

/Mikaela./

Mikaela stumbled back from the wall in a cry of sudden pain, feeling the onslaught of Starscream's connection. Dizziness took over and her hands grasped and fumbled for something to grab ahold of, one hand slapping back against the wall. A sharp stab of pain shot through her skull, causing her to bring a hand up to her forehead. It hurt...oh _god_ did it hurt. She didn't think it would have caused her this much pain. Then again, so far they had only managed slow, eased connections, nothing this sudden and urgent. Her breathing quickened and she leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes, trying to focus.

/Star...that...ow../ she managed to reply across the bond, her head throbbing in pain. She knew he hadn't meant any harm; she could tell that by the urgency in his voice as he called to her. Starscream, on the other hand, felt exactly what it did to her, and he winced inwardly. He never intended for that to happen, but he had figured it was a possibility. He tried to lower the frequency as much as he could without losing connection, managing only a small amount.

/I'm sorry, my intent wasn't to hurt you. But Ratchet needs you out here./ He replied, trying to keep his voice from getting even more urgent. He glanced around, looking for Skywarp again. The teleporter's attacks were growing sporadic and highly unpredictable, which made him even more dangerous. One time he would attack, wait just a few seconds, attack again. The next time, though, might be a few minutes, or a few seconds. No one knew now, and it made everyone nervous and looking around constantly. Mikaela's flicked open in shock and fear. He wanted her to go out there?!

/Star, are you serious!?/ She asked, stunned. She glanced outside, only to see the fallen form of Sunstorm, who was disturbingly still, save for a finger that twitched every now and then. Once in a while, she swore she saw him try to move, but she wasn't sure. It saddened her, the memories of Starscream's attack still threatening to make her curl into the wall again. She leaned out the door a bit more, glancing around the corner. She could see them now; Optimus and Thundercracker standing back to back with Ironhide face down on the ground between them, with Ratchet leaning over him trying to fix him. Starscream hovered in the air a bit above them, high enough so that the backwash from his thrusters wouldn't hurt them.

She shielded her eyes as a sudden cloud of dust appeared, backing up a bit. When she uncovered her eyes, her hand went to her mouth in an attempt to silence a scream that came to her throat. Her eyes were wide as she looked up, seeing the towering figure of Skywarp as the mech raised an arm, launchers appearing. He fired a shot off, then disappeared again, dust swirling and dispersing where he had once been. All that was left was the missile he had shot, which was now searing it's way toward the others.

It was Thundercracker who got the shot in this time. He knew that Skywarp wouldn't stick around, so he aimed and fired off a missile of his own straight for his wingmate's launcher. Thankfully, both missiles connected and exlploded midair a good distance from where the group was standing. Mikaela whirled back behind the door as a blast of debris passed her, the blast being closer to her. Her heart felt like it was beating faster than what she thought was good for it. She closed her eyes again, trying to calm down at least a bit.

/Star, I can't-/

/Mikaela, please. Ironhide isn't onlining. Ratchet needs your help. And I can't leave here to come get you, they will be vulnerable from above./ He tried again, his voice growing more urgent. Ratchet was yelling at him again, demanding to know where Mikaela was. And this time, Ratchet's voice reached her ears, and she leaned out the door again, glancing out. She knew the risks. She would be a sitting duck out there as she ran for them. She bit her lip as she looked around, strands of hair falling into her eyes. She reached up, brushing them away hastily. Sweat beaded on her forehead, capturing a few small strands of hair and keeping them to her face. She ignored them, and made a decision. Without another word, and despite her fears, she bolted out the door at a full sprint, her now-loose ponytail flailing behind her, the tie slowly inching its way to the end of her hair.

Optimus saw her first, and aimed his cannon at her. Rather, behind her. He didn't know if Skywarp would appear anywhere around her, but he figured being ready in just such a case was going to be a wise move. It was a very smart move, in fact, as the cloud of dust appeared a few meters away from her. Optimus shot off a blast as the dust began to clear, not giving Skywarp a chance to teleport out before he realized what was coming to him. Optimus's shot hit Skywarp in the shoulder, blowing a hole in one of his wingplates that stuck out from his shoulder. Skywarp let out a shriek of pain, whirling with the blast that hit his wing. Mikaela never stopped running, the knowledge that Skywarp was behind her only made her run faster. How, she had no idea. She just knew she needed to run, and run fast. Her ponytail tie finally fell out on the ground, landing forgotten amongst the rocks, concrete chips, dirt and dust strewn around the ground.

Ratchet saw her running, and gave a sigh of relief, reaching out a still energon-covered hand for her to climb on as soon as she was close enough. She didn't even stop running as she got closer, instead pushing up off the ground with one foot with more strength than she thought she had, launching off the ground and landing into Ratchet's hand. She grabbed onto one of his fingers as he began to lift her up, effectively stopping her momentum from keeping her going and forcing her to slide off the other side of his hand. She had slid forward a bit, but was stopped by her hanging on forcefully to a piece of armor. Her legs and hands were splattered with energon now, but she didn't care. A friend needed help, and she wasn't going to let

"Thank you, Mikaela. I need your help," Ratchet said, setting his hand down near Ironhide's neck. "He's got damage to connections in his neck...do you think you can get to them?" He asked as she climbed off his hand and stepping down to his neck. She could see the problems already, and nodded, kneeling down. She brushed a frizzed lock of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her right ear.

"Yeah, I can. I can see some of the problems. Just tell me what to do, Ratchet," she said, her fingers already working over wires and connections, inspecting them as she would on a regular car. Granted, this was a true life form, but the basic concept was the same. If a wire was frayed, it needed to be replaced, or patched properly. She pulled out the switchblade knife that she had carried with her since Simmons gave it to her the night she helped fix Starscream, flicking it open and leaning down, pulling a few wires apart as she started repairing what she could, Ratchet leading her on, and pointing out what went where as he did his own repairs elsewhere on Ironhide's back.

* * *

The sky had darkened a bit as Bumblebee sped down the road at speeds that would give speedbreakers a 200 dollar-plus ticket. At over 20 miles past the 75 MPH speed limit, the camaro and it's passengers zipped by, all three anxious to get back to the base. Optimus had contacted Bumblebee several hours ago, asking them to come back as soon as possible. They had gotten supplies; clothes, food, even tools for repairs, which included wrenches, electrical tape and lots of it, several welders, cutters, and many other things. Sam had raided his dad's garage, borrowing a few things just in case. He didn't know what to expect, only that there was a chance of them being attacked at the base. Little did any of them know that the battle had started already.

Simmons sat in his passenger seat, a smug look on his face. Just a few minutes more, and the favor he called in should be arriving. He held his phone in his hand, a finger tapping the closed surface of it expectantly. He would receive a phone call once what he asked for was in the area. Sam knew what Simmons had done, and his hands were gripping at Bee's wheel in nervousness and worry. He was having second thoughts about having told the agent to go ahead with his plan. He wanted Mikaela happy, but at the same time, he wanted her safe. He glanced over at Simmons, once again, pursing his lips a bit in a look of mixed frustration and determination. He prayed he wasn't wrong.

Both men jumped as the phone started ringing, a screechy version of "Bad to the Bone" began to fill the air. Sam looked over at Simmons with a look of disbelief, recognizing the old tune. In one way, he couldn't believe Simmons used that song for a ring tone. Then he thought again, realizing it fit the agent's personality all too well. Simmons raised his phone, giving Sam a look, answering his phone finally.

"Yes?" He asked, pausing for a moment as information was relayed to him. His face went from a darkened look, to a look of pure satisfaction. "Good. I'll let you know how it turns out." With that, he clicked the phone shut. He looked over at Sam, who at the moment was facing the street in front of him. Sam, sensing the other looking at him, looked back at the agent. Both men glanced back and forth at the street and then at each other, before one spoke.

"What?"

"You're kidding, right?" Sam asked, his tone somewhere between amused and disbelieving. Simmons raised an eyebrow as he pocketed his phone, sliding it in the pocket inside his coat.

"Kidding? About what?" He asked, a bit perplexed.

"Your ringtone." Sam answered flatly, looking at him, then glancing back out to the road, then back at Simmons. Sam knew Bee was driving perfectly fine, but watching the road was a habit that was rather hard to break, and one that shouldn't be broken either way.

"What's wrong with my ringtone?" Simmons asked defensively. He happened to like the song, and thought it fit him very well. He was bad to the bone...or at least, he thought so. Sam looked at him for another moment, then shook his head, looking back out to the street, not answering. His silence would be enough.

"What's wrong with my ringtone?!" He repeated, annoyed at Sam's refusal to answer the question. Sam, once again, shook his head.

"Nothing. It's fine. Just..I dunno. It's fine. I mean, for you, it's fine." Sam finally said, shrugging one shoulder and waving a hand slightly, stammering slightly. He didn't really feel like telling Simmons that the song seemed a bit...too egotistic. Simmons stared at him for a moment, not believing him.

"You don't like my ringtone." He stated finally, putting Sam in the spotlight. Sam glanced at the agent, then half shrugged again, mouth opening, closing then opening again.

"I-well, no, it-its fine. Seriously, it's fine." He said, pausing a moment, biting his lip. "..No, I don't-"

"Why? There's nothing wrong with it. I like the song. Leave it alone." He shot back, defending his choice of ringer. He shifted in his seat, reaching up and adjusting his tie a bit. Sam glanced at him again, raising an eyebrow.

"But why that-" Sam started again, but he was cut off by a loud, deafening roar. He leaned forward, trying to see what was causing the sound. The light outside was still light enough to see shapes and some color, but it was quickly fading. Several sets of afterburners shot over them as a squadron of F-22s shot over them, heading right for the base. Sam's eyes widened, picking out at least ten jets. He stared at them, then looked over at Simmons. He was not surprised to see the smug look on his face once again.

"And the cavalry arrives." He said calmly, not even sparing Sam a look.

* * *

END CHAPTER 24

A/N- I know this chapter is a bit shorter, and it is really fast-paced, especially in the beginning. But it's kinda meant to be that way. Also, I have no idea if there is a specific number to a squadron of jets, so just bear with me there. Better than saying a flock of jets. XD Hopefully this isn't as text-walled as the last one. And one more thing: I didn't realize until after I was re-reading this that Skywarp's dust-effect as he teleports is extremely similar to Nightcrawler in the X-MEN live action movie, "X2". This was not done on purpose, and I do not claim the effect as my own. This was purely coincidental.


	26. Chapter 25: Darkest Hour

_Credits and Motivation go to:_ **Songs include:**"The Last Night", Skillet; "Made of Scars", Stone Sour; "Life is Beautiful", Sixx AM; "Love Me When I'm Gone",Three Doors Down; "See You On The Other Side", Ozzy Ozborne; "I'm Alive", Disturbed; "Reclusion", Anberlin; "Memories", Within Temptation(Used for the last scene.) **Energy drinks:**ROCKSTAR: JUICED. **Other motivation:** THE REVIEWS! -heart-

Before I posted this chapter, I got my 200th Review. Thank you so much for reading this far. I love you all. And fair warning, this is my longest chapter at 9,349 words.(Not counting this little blurb here.) I dedicate this to everyone who has followed through with this, and I hope you will be there until the very end. (Get your tissues and sad music.)

And now...

**Chapter 25: Darkest Hour**

Being thwarted at every turn was possibly the most annoying and irritating thing that Skywarp had encountered in his entire time of being online. This time was no exception. He reappeared, but this time right in front of Shockwave. He was standing just behind a large outcropping, hands clasped behind his back, watching the commotion down below. From this vantage point, the one-opticed mech could see the squadron of earth-made jets heading in their direction. The thought rather amused the intelligence officer. There was no way that any of them would survive. The humans were foolish to attempt such a run. He gave no acknowledgement to the fact that Skywarp had come back, merely watching everything. Oh, he knew that Skywarp was there, make no mistake. He just chose not to acknowledge him at this point.

Skywarp, on the other hand, took a few steps to a wall of rock that was off to his left, leaning against it. The wound to his wing had stopped leaking, now only a discernible, deep gouge in the plating, sparking. The armor was burnt and melted. If he tried to fly, there was a possibility of the wind stressing the wing too much and causing it to break off. He stared out at the grounds below, then up at the sky, seeing the human's jets. He raised a hand to his shoulder, pain lancing through his systems. It was more annoying than anything, it wasn't a life threatening wound, just painful. He growled a bit when Shockwave made no movement toward him at all.

"They're adapting to your strategy, Shockwave." He said, biting off the last word in contempt. He didn't mind fighting for the other mech. But getting killed? That was another story. He had no intention of getting deactivated any time soon. Shockwave still made no movement. Skywarp glared at the other's back, annoyance steadily growing.

"Do not worry about the strategy, Skywarp. The equation has changed. You will be under cover of the human's jets. Commotion and confusion will become our ally." He said coolly, almost with an air of detached interest. He still refused to turn around, not looking at his cohort. Skywarp shut his mouth, realizing the other mech was right. With the other jets approaching, the confusion and focus on the human jets would splinter the Autobot's attention in so many directions they would not be able to keep up. Slowly he grinned, and let his hand drop from his shoulder as he stepped up to Shockwave, glancing down at the others. Already they were aware of what was coming, as Thundercracker had taken to the air to take his place beside Starscream. Skywarp felt a momentary stab of guilt, remembering the times when he had always been by Thundercracker and Starscream's side. Even Sunstorm had been there on occasion, the four of them fighting side by side, though most of the time it was just the three of them. He pushed the thoughts back, clenching his hands, his shoulder and wingplates shifting slightly.

"Just tell me when." the F-15 said quietly, preparing to go back in when the perfect opportunity arose. Shockwave, who was already formulating a plan, simply nodded once.

* * *

Minute by minute, deep within brutalized systems and torn components, nanites were hard at work, repairing cables, wires and armor quickly. Fueled by a power source that no other system had, these nanites worked faster than most would have thought possible. Working from the inside out, systems seemed to latch themselves together slowly, a strange glowing, goldish material stretching between broken wires and fuel lines. Had one been watching from the outside, it would have seemed like a creepy scene out of a science fiction movie. But the reality was that these nanites were bridging themselves together and pulling parts together, then microscopically melding the parts back together to look brand new. Being so small and so many, they seemed to create a thick viscous fluid, giving the appearance of a thick, sticky oil.

As they worked, Sunstorm slowly became more and more aware of his surroundings again. There was damage to his fusion core, but it was minimal and nearly repaired already. His back, however, was a different story. Armor had been disintegrated and ripped apart, the joints between his wingplates and shoulder armor shattered. The jet stayed still, knowing that any movement would not only alert their attacker that he was still alive, but it would also disrupt the healing of his self-repair systems. Pain throbbed through his entire body, lancing through his processors like jolts of electricity too strong for one to handle. Several times, the pain alone nearly caused him to offline again, but he fought against it, wanting to be aware of everything. If he was needed, he would want to be able to assist in whatever way he could. He chided himself at that. How could he be of help when he was down for the count? All he could do was just relax, and let his repair systems do their job.

Which was possibly the most frustrating thing to do.

For a jet, being on the ground for any reason was like a fish being out of water for a long period of time. They needed the sky, just as water-bound creatures needed the water. While it wasn't so much needed to survive, a jet grounded for too long could cause one to go crazy. A jet was meant to be in the air, no matter what. Granted, while being on the ground gave relief to weary systems, it wasn't long before they were back in the air again. It was akin to an addiction. Chain a flyer to the ground, eventually they would do whatever it took to get back into the air, though it usually could take months for the situation to get that bad.

Sunstorm turned his consciousness inward, focusing on ancient chants that he had learned so long ago. They usually helped to focus himself, which was what he needed right now. As he mentally spoke the ancient words, his systems began to hum softly, the nanites working even harder. Everything slowly came into unison; the energon -the Cybertronian version of blood- being circulated through fuel lines and other systems becoming less erratic, the energy pulsing in his fusion core stabilizing finally, his intakes slowing to a more reasonable rate. He concentrated his focus, glad he was face down as he started mumbling the words out loud. Saying them mentally didn't do as much as speaking out the words verbally. The sounds from speaking the ancient text had a rather tranquilizing effect if said correctly, with inflections placed in the proper places, proper tone usage and pronunciation. As the rest of his systems slowed and calmed, the nanites continued on, working harder to bring the jet back to full functionality.

* * *

Mikaela reached up, wiping her face with a energon and lubricant-covered hand. The work she had been doing had done wonders for her paralyzing flashbacks to the last battle, the memories forgotten for now. Her face, by now, was an epitome of sweat, dirt and blood, both her own and Ironhide's. She had cuts on her fingers, palms and lower arms from the knife she used, and from the occasional metal part that stuck out like a serrated blade. She paid no mind to the pain and cuts, though. Her friend needed her help, and that is what she was doing. She was elbow-deep in Ironhide's neck now, getting the connections back together. She hissed as she acquired yet another cut, fresh blood welting to the surface. Most of the wounds were superficial, but one was a bit deeper and still bleeding a little. She had a red scar now where she had been cut before, back when they had first arrived on the base. The burn marks from Starscream's spark were still browned, but they almost looked like a strange and beautifully simplistic tattoo now. Anyone who didn't know about Starscream would have guessed in favor of a tattoo, though would never realize the cryptic symbolism that the marks would carry for her for as long as she had them. It was possible they would stay with her forever.

She gritted her teeth, grabbing the last connection with a lunge, her other hand gripping onto a plate of armor on the back of the weapon's specialist's head. She looked back at Ratchet, looking worse than she had back when the two of them had fixed Starscream.

"This is the last one, Ratchet...Where does it go?" She asked, sounding a bit hurried. She had every right to be, as Thundercracker had announced that there were several human jets headed their way. Optimus was hopeful, thinking that Sam had convinced Simmons to bring in help. If that was the case, then the leader would have a reason to thank the agent for once. Thundercracker and Starscream were both up in the air now, talking amongst themselves about the oncoming jets, deciding on a plan of action. Ratchet, meanwhile, paused only briefly to look up at Mikaela, scanning the cord she held.

"...That one? It goes under the left peripheral junction, right over there," he said, pointing a finger at the general location of a plate of armor on the left back part of his neck, covering the junction between the shoulder and the neck components. "That plate of armor. Under there," he said again, when Mikaela turned around and didn't quite see what he was talking about. Cybertonian medical terms and human medical or mechanical terms were far different. She reached out, placing a hand on the armor he indicated.

"This one?" She asked, looking back at him, preparing to shift that piece of metal a bit so she could get under it. Ratchet nodded in affirmation, and she bent down, refocusing her work and peering under the armor plating. She could see the junction, and reached under, sliding the cable connection into the correct port that it belonged in. She could feel a sudden throbbing of energy as electricity poured through the cable, the connections finally complete. She pulled back, wiping her forehead again, inspecting her handiwork. Everything she had been set to do she had accomplished. She glanced back at Ratchet, who was running scans, his optics dimmed a bit.

"I'm done," she stated, a look of worry still covering her face. She could hear the jets in the distance now. They would be on top of them in no time. Ratchet finished his scans without another word, and reached under a plate of armor, trained medic's fingers quickly and deftly adjusting something with a few clicks. Mikaela looked around in surprise as the hum of energy got louder, then faded back to a very faint whisper of systems working properly. He reached out a hand to her, intending for her to climb on. She reached out, grasping at his thumb and climbing on. She held on as Ratchet lowered her to the ground, where she slid off his hand, her feet planted firmly on the stable ground again. She looked up at Ratchet expectantly, worried still.

"Thank you, Mikaela. Your help has been appreciated. Stand back...he'll be online in a moment," he informed her, to which she turned and jogged a few steps away before turning back around to look at them. She waited, worried, praying that she hadn't made a wrong move somewhere. But with Ratchet having helped her, she was more certain than not that she had managed to help get Ironhide online and working properly again.

Ratchet stood back and watched, waiting for his friend to come back online. Optimus looked over at Ironhide, then back at Ratchet. His cannon was thrumming, ready to fire at the slightest cloud of dust. The light was failing around them, and thus decreasing the visibility by a good amount. He switched over to low-light vision, the world around him switching to a brighter shade of blue, sensor displays also appearing in his vision. Blips, lines and circles appeared, zooming in and back out, inspecting different objects around him. He glanced down at Ironhide again, several small lines appearing and displaying information from different spots.

"Ratchet, will he be alright?" The Autobot leader asked, worried for his friend's welfare. Ratchet nodded briefly, to Optimus's relief.

"Yes. His systems are powering up now." the medical officer replied, his scans running over and over, each one telling him that the repairs had taken well and were holding. He had been concerned that they wouldn't, but so far, everything was working properly. Optimus nodded in return, turning his attention to the sky. He noted Starscream and Thundercracker hovering in the air, thrusters on full, the light from the flames appearing as bright oblong orbs that obscured half of the two jets. He looked more to the distance, turning away from the two, seeing the jets in the distance. He felt a bit of relief and a slight twinge of apprehension, worried that something wasn't quite right. He shook his head, doubting that the humans would turn on them.

The loud grumble coming from the weapons specialist caught everyone's attention, and earned a yell of success from Mikaela. Ironhide's optics flickered on, dimly at first, and then brightened more as he moved his hands, pressing them against the ground trying to gain support as he tried to get up. Slowly, he pushed himself up, a loud whine of protest emanating from his servos and joints. Ratchet let a smile come to his face as Ironhide growled at the sound.

"Easy there, your systems aren't what they used to be, you know." the medic said, trying to break a bit of the tension. It worked, causing Mikaela to start laughing and Optimus to make some sort of choked sound, a sound of gears grinding together and catching. Ironhide managed to sit up and glare at Ratchet, his hands flexing.

"Are you calling me old?" he asked, daring the medic to say yes.

"Maybe." Ratchet said, dismissing the comment with a wave of his hand. "But more on that later. We have bigger problems to worry about." Ironhide was already running a weapons systems check, taking a damage report. Most of his weapons, thankfully, were at full power still. Only his right cannon was at 82 percent. His internal repair systems were already on that, the percentage climbing slowly. He huffed slightly at Ratchet, deciding not to persue the argument further for the moment.

"What's going on?" He asked flatly, anxious to find who had attacked him and give them their share of the pie.

"Skywarp happened," Ratchet replied, looking up to the sky as he said that. The jets were so much closer now, and would be there within seconds. "We have company..."

"Why am I not surprised..." Ironhide mumbled as he looked up, taking note of the earth jets heading towards them. Both cannons formed and began to warm up, humming with a low whine, both glowing with an angry light. One a shimmering blue, the other an angry orange.

Optimus looked up, his intakes hissing quietly as he watched the jets approach, growing a bit anxious. Starscream and Thundercracker backed down, heading in for a landing, not wanting to be mistaken as a threat. They both landed next to Optimus, looking up at the sky. The afterburners of all ten jets were clear now, and they were closing in on the deck. Below them, a light that shone brightly, soon splitting into two lights. It was Bumblebee with Sam and Simmons. If there had been cops around, then the camaro would have had numerous counts of breaking the speed limit. He was going well over one hundred miles per hour, hurrying to get back to the base. Bee knew what was going to happen, and wanted to be there as backup. Ironhide looked out to the headlights that approached, scanning and picking up Bumblebee's signature right away. Above them, the jets rushed by in a deafening roar of jet engines, each of the pilots taking in the scene below them.

* * *

The crackle of static came over the radios of the squadron as the commander opened a channel.

"Watch the deck, we've got friendlies mixed with bad guys. You all know your targets. Take out any mech that is not on the the list of friendlies. This is what we were trained for, men. Let's go!" the pilot said, receiving a chorus of shouts and whoops of encouragement from the other pilots. All the jets were F-22s, and would thus make it hard to keep track visually. However, the Department of Defense had managed to put together a radar system that could pick up the energy signatures of any non-earth jets. The fighter jets all split off into different directions, all banking around and arming weapons.

"Eagle One, this is Eagle Seven. One enemy target is already down. Be advised. Repeat, one enemy target is already down." One pilot said over the radios, the information relaying to the others, including Eagle One. Pulling up and banking around to get a wider view, Eagle One noted one of the mechs on the ground, not moving. Obviously there was a battle of some sort already. But what worried the Commander was the slight glow of that particular one.

"Understood, Eagle Seven. Keep an eye open on that one, just in case. We don't know their full capabilities yet." he came back, watching as the rest of the squadron fell into attack formation.

"Yessir!" Eagle Seven replied, preparing to lock on to the first target. In another jet, Eagle Four locked on, the red cross-hairs turning green as a high-pitched tone filled the air.

"This is Eagle Four. I've got tone."

The rest of the fighters were quick to follow, all locking on. All that was left was the Commander's order to fire at will.

* * *

Skywarp watched as the jets all came around and fell into a very rudimentary attack formation. He crossed his arms, watching, amused. Shockwave said nothing, still standing in the same position. They had been watching each and every one of them, including their enemies down below. Skywarp couldn't believe his optics. How easy this was going to be. Let the humans create the distraction, and he would go in, dusting in and out randomly, attacking when he was least expected. He almost couldn't wait. It was very rare that he got a chance to use his teleportation abilities to their fullest extent. An opportunity such as this was definitely cause for excitement. He shifted a bit from one foot to another, the wound in his wing forgotten in light of his anxiety.

"Calm down, Skywarp. Being anxious will do you no good." Shockwave said calmly. He paused a moment, processing a plan of action. "When the earth fighters attack, move in. Attack the medic and the weapons specialist first. I want Optimus Prime for myself. It will be a great honor to take him out in the name of our late Lord Megatron." He proclaimed, staking his claim on the Autobot Leader. His voice was disturbingly cool and collected, causing Skywarp to look at him uneasily. He didn't protest, though, and simply nodded.

"Yes, sir..." the F-15 said quietly, shifting again. He was glad he wasn't attacking his wingmates first; something about fighting against them just seemed all wrong. It made a shock of nervousness and regret slide across his systems like a thick, black oil that could never be cleaned off. He hated the feeling, a slight shiver causing his wingplates to quiver a bit and downtwitch slightly. A stab of pain shot through the panel that had been shot, and he winced slightly. Damn Optimus for that! He growled slightly and pushed the emotions aside, preparing for the inevitable attack.

Sudden bursts of flames from all the jets burst forward, the jets all pulling up and heading to regroup and attack again. Missiles all shot toward two of the figures below, flying fast and sure. Skywarp tensed; his moment had come. Shockwave said nothing, waiting for the precise moment. The Autobots and newfound allies all turned and looked at the oncoming missiles, each one raising a cannon or projectile weapon of their arsenal and fired, trying to stave off the attack.

"Go."

It was all Skywarp needed to hear.

* * *

"Look out!"

All of them turned and looked at the oncoming missiles, Mikaela's warning ringing out as she yelled out, backing up a bit. She watched in horror, her eyes growing wide when she realized where the fighters had aimed their missiles. Behind her, Ratchet and Ironhide stood, aiming their own weapons. To her left, Optimus raised his weapon, a flash of silver against the now black sky. Clouds had covered half the sky already, getting thicker by the minute. In an idle thought, she wondered if this would be a night of rain. If it was, it would make things far more difficult. She bit her lip, standing amongst the Autobots. Thundercracker and Starscream saw the missiles, aiming upward with the Autobots. At nearly the same time, everyone began firing, most of the missiles exploding instantly. However, a few escaped and shot forward, intent on their targets.

Behind them all, Bumblebee finally arrived and slid to a stop, kicking up dirt and debris around him, a dust cloud from the dirt raising, then settling slowly. Simmons and Sam both got out as the camaro transformed, his cannon already out and aimed at one of the missiles. He ran forward, firing off a blast, hitting a missile aimed at Starscream, watching the projectile explode in midair. It was beautiful in a morbid sort of way, the cloud of fire and shrapnel making daylight out of the darkness as the other balls of fire and smoke dissipated. Burning pieces of missile hull and components fell, giving an illusion of molten lava dripping from the sky, illuminating everything...including a burst of dust behind Ratchet. Bumblebee watched as Skywarp formed and swung his cannon around, aiming for the teleporter. Skywarp, unaware of the yellow Autobot spotting him, raised his own launchers at the back of Ratchet's head, preparing to fire.

When his targeting alarms went off, he whirled, spotting Bumblebee not too far from him. Unfortunately, Bee had already fired, a liquid-blue ball of plasma already on its way to the F-15. Skywarp growled, then realized where he was standing. He grinned, and removed himself from the equation, leaving a direct line of sight to the medic. The blast moved forward, unaware at all of the change in target. Bumblebee was horrified, instantly communicating to Ratchet the situation via personal communications systems. Catching on, the medic ducked, but not before the blast hit him across the shoulder, splintering and ripping apart metal and armor, shards of superheated metal flying away from him. Ratchet fell to one knee, energon and sparks flying from his shoulder. The worse part was the fact that the shoulder that had been hit was the same arm that his gatling gun was on. His arm dropped, several servos meant to move the arm now either damaged or locked up. The remainder of the blast hit the wall of the base, blowing a good meter and a half sized hole in it.

Ironhide saw what happened and stepped over to his friend, shielding his shoulder from any more blasts. He raised his own twin cannons, looking for more missiles. There were none. He glanced down at Ratchet, worried about him.

"Ratchet, get inside. If you go down, no one is gonna fix us if we go down." He said hastily, looking around. He knew that Skywarp was still out there, and was unaware that the jet had been the indirect cause of the attack on Ratchet. The lime-green autobot shook his head, defiant.

"You all need me out--"

"Not with that arm, Ratchet. Ironhide is right," Optimus chimed in, stepping closer, watching the earth jets coming in again. "Get inside. That's an order." Optimus said firmly. While it was an order, it was also a request, friend to friend. Ratchet looked up at his long time leader and friend, finally relenting. He knew that Ironhide and Optimus was right. If he fled now, he would be able to make repairs to the others when the battle was said and done. He stood, looking at them both.

"Take Mikaela with you." Ironhide said, gesturing down at his repairer. Mikaela glanced up from her spot near a large boulder than had fallen in the previous battle, looking up at Ironhide, then Ratchet. She nodded silently, agreeing. Movement caught her eye, and she looked over, seeing Simmons and Sam both running for the door of the base, making a break for it. Both of them knew that they wouldn't be able to stand a chance out here with flying missiles, debris and explosions everywhere. Sam wanted to help, but he had no idea what to do. He saw the Autobots standing close together, Ratchet's shoulder leaking and sparking. The next thing he saw was Mikaela peering up from a large rock, looking at Ratchet.

In a split second decision, Sam skidded, trying to stop, one foot sliding out from under him as he instinctively reached down with one hand to catch himself. One leg bent under him, his foot still on the ground, the other kicking small rocks and dirt away from him. His hand hit the ground hard, scraping through his skin. He balanced himself with his free hand, waving it in the air to attempt to counterbalance himself. He stood once he regained balance a half a second later, taking off in a run towards Mikaela. He needed to get her inside. He ignored the fact that his hand was now bleeding, skin scraped and ripped.

"MIKAELA!" He yelled out, running full tilt for her. Starscream or not, he still cared about her and wanted nothing to happen to her. He watched as she turned, surprise written all over her face. She stepped out from the rock, looking up at Ratchet.

"Come on, we need to go!" Sam yelled, cutting off Mikaela before she said something similar to the medic. She nodded at Ratchet, then turned and ran for Sam, a glance around telling her that Starscream was safe, standing next to Thundercracker. The two jets were watching the skies, their weapons trained for the sky and the Raptors that prowled it. Afterburners could be seen in the air, a dead giveaway of their position. Both Decepticon jets were loaded and ready to fire, waiting for them to come into range.

Ratchet finally gave in and followed their two human friends as Sam and Mikaela ran for the door. Simmons was already inside, rushing for the deeper part of the base where he knew it was safe from missile fire. Mikaela and Sam ran through the opening, Ratchet thudding after them closely. He ducked down, slipping into the door with ease. He couldn't transform; his wound would cause problems with that. He continued following after them, making his way to the safer parts of the base.

* * *

Bumblebee joined Ironhide and Optimus in a matter of seconds. His cannon was out, ready for the next volley of missiles that he knew was coming. And it did, almost the second that he reached his friends. Ten missiles, all loaded with 105 Sable rounds, shot forward, all aimed for two certain mechs. Ironhide managed to map out the trajectory and angles, and figured out who they were firing at. He growled and fired off several rounds, three out of four connecting with missiles, the last one missing completely and heading for one of the fighter jets. Three explosions set off four more explosions, seven of the missiles now detonated. The remaining three shot through the blasts, one connecting with one of it's targets.

Thundercracker whirled, letting out a shrill cry of pain as a round connected with and exploded across his arm, taking out half his arm in one hit. Sparks and fire flew from his arm, energon splattering the debris-laden concrete. He whirled and hit the ground, but fought to get back up. He could still fight, and a battle wound like this was _not _going to stop him. Another blast hit the ground not far from him, the ground exploding in a shower of dirt, rocks and fire. He ducked to one side, shielding his damaged armStarscream took to the air, figuring that he would have a better chance in the air. He transformed and shot off, making a circle around the other jets. The sky was his domain, and he would make sure the fighters knew who was king of the sky. Thundercracker took note of Starscream's escape to the air, figuring that was the best chance he had, as well. He gripped his arm and fired off his thrusters, fire scorching the ground as he lifted off to join the battle in the air, ready to fight for their right to live.

Optimus and the other two continued their assault from below, spreading out in a V- formation. The objective was clear- more spread out made it harder for the jets to lock on to all three of them. Optimus aimed, waiting for more projectiles to come rushing toward them. He found himself in a brief moment of thought, wondering why it was that the fighters had been attacking them. Simmons surely wouldn't have them attempt to destroy the Autobots, would he? Realization would be a bit slow for everyone, with Bumblebee voicing the question.

"..Why are they not firing at us anymore?" The yellow Autobot asked, lowering his cannon slightly. Both Ironhide and Optimus blinked, optics flickering briefly as they scanned the skies. The answer became apparent very quickly as an aerial dogfight ensued in the sky above them.

"Because their target was Starscream and Thundercracker!" Ironhide exclaimed, growling, his cannon lowering slightly as well. Optimus lowered his own cannon completely, watching the battle. He couldn't believe his optics. They should have known that Starscream was an ally now, not an enemy. Unless...Simmons didn't tell them that he was an ally. He covered his face with a hand for a moment, then looked up again. To provide cover fire for the two jets would be to harm the humans. To leave them be would be to possibly harm either of them. Thundercracker was already damaged and couldn't transform due to the extent of damage to his arm. Starscream seemed to be holding his own, being fired at but not firing back. He had avoided damage thus far, but what if one of them got a lucky hit off? What if...

His optics widened and his spark jumped. Mikaela was in danger as well. And she didn't even know it. They had to do something. He raised his cannon again, aiming for one of the fighters. Ironhide looked at his leader, a surprised look on his face. Bumblebee mirrored Ironhide, his own look of surprise apparent as his cannon fell.

"Optimus, you can't be serious. Firing on them means--" Ironhide started, but his words were cut off as Optimus interrupted him.

"Mikaela is in danger, Ironhide. They're firing on Starscream and Thundercracker. What happens if one of them hits Starscream? What happens to Mikaela?" Optimus said, pausing just long enough to look at Ironhide and Bumblebee. Both had blank looks on their faces. Optimus shook his head. "Remember the last battle? When Skywarp had attacked Starscream, Mikaela fell to the ground in pain. She will feel what he feels. And to make matters worse," he continued, aiming for one of the fighter jet's wings, "their Bond is stronger now. They can communicate through the bond. If something happens, Mikaela will go down as well. I don't want to think of what might happen if Starscream got hit, and perhaps deactivated." He finished, letting a shot go, the shock of the blast back-washing into him as his arm and shoulder were pushed back. Both Ironhide and Bumblebee stared in shock at Optimus, both realizing what might happen. They couldn't let that happen. The two turned and aimed for the sky, firing off their own blasts.

Up in the sky, Starscream was finding it very hard to not turn and attack the other fighter jets. He was growing increasingly annoyed and worried. Thundercracker was still holding is own, but a few shots had gotten a bit too close for comfort for either flyer. Thundercracker basically played cat and mouse, trying to get one jet to fire on another. It almost worked a few times, but the human pilots were well trained, veering off before they could be hit. Starscream growled to himself as he streaked from one side of the sky arena to the other, patching in to the human's communication systems. He was alarmed at what he heard.

_"Eagle One, this is Eagle Two. Energy signatures located on an outcropping of the mountain. Permission to inspect?"_

_"Eagle Two, this is Eagle One. Roger that, permission granted. Fire at will if energy sigs are not friendlies. Report with findings."_

_"Understood, Eagle Two out."_

Beside that particular blip of information, he got bombarded with numerous reports of tone, lock-ons and firings. His targeting alarms went off, and he veered to the right suddenly, taking off in a blast of flame from his afterburners, taking off for the mountain. It was a race against time, and someone was running out of time. Problem was, he didn't know who. Everyone was pretty well equally matched so far. As he headed for the mountain, he saw a blast of energy fly up behind him, taking out a wing of the jet that trailed him. The jet behind him veered off wildly, the pilot yelling over the radio.

_"Mayday! Mayday! I've been hit! I've been hit!"_

_"Eagle Ten! Eject! Eject!" _

_"I can't! The emergency eject system is jammed! The blast disabled it! Dammit!" _

Starscream heard it, his conscious fighting with itself. They had been firing on both him and Thundercracker. But at the same time, he didn't want them firing on him and his wingmate anymore. He growled, banking and firing off his thrusters again, falling to meet the doomed jet. Screams of horror rang across the radio systems of the humans as he dove, all of them worried that he was going to attack and kill the poor pilot inside. He had to give himself a small amused laugh at that. He transformed as he came up on the jet, reaching out, one hand latching onto the intact wing, his other hand grabbing on under the cockpit. He thrust forward, carrying the damaged jet to safety just beyond the base, managing to drop the fighter to the ground with minimal additional damage. Landing next to the plane, he reached out, ripping off the top of the cockpit and throwing the canopy off to the side, revealing a sheet-white human, scared out of his mind. He stared up at the jet-mech that had saved his life, barely breathing or even blinking. Starscream made a slight noise.

"You're welcome."

With that, he fired up his thrusters again, transforming mid air and climbing, flying between several other fighters that had followed him with the intent to fire on him. The shock of seeing their comrade saved by the Decepticon jet confused them. He heard reports flying through the ranks about him saving that human's life, and began to wonder if that might have changed things. He made a beeline for the mountain again, heading for the energy signatures that he was currently searching for, the same ones that the humans had managed to pick up on.

They weren't there.

* * *

It wasn't until Optimus was on the ground with pain blinding him almost completely that he realized he had been hit. Somewhere off to his right, Bumblebee was yelling and firing at something repeatedly, apparently having either little or no effect. He groaned, trying to get up. His back and shoulder hurt, energon leaking from various spots and sparks flying and sputtering. His vision kept pixelating, despite his best efforts to clear it. All he could see was the ground, then shocks of color and pixels across his vision, then static, and then ground again. He managed to push up with his hands, rerouting power to his optic sensors to try and boost the imagery. What he saw as he finally stood, albeit unsteadily, was not what he wanted to see at all. Shockwave, a few meters away, his cannon smoking. Bumblebee was firing at him but his attacks had very little effect on the other mech's armor. The little yellow Autobot kept firing, searching for a weakness.

"B-Bumblebee, get out of here...!" Optimus tried yelling, but his vocalizers were fritzing. He managed to say it, though Bumblebee refused to leave. He would not leave while Optimus was in danger like this. He fired again and again, determination winning over logic. Shockwave raised his cannon at the smaller mech.

"It's no wonder they call you Bumblebee. You are as annoying as the insect of the same name that is indigenous to this planet." He said coldly, taking the shot. A blast of bright yellow energy sailed through the air right for Bumblebee, a blow meant for a one-hit offline. Bumblebee wasn't fast enough, but Optimus was. The larger mech managed to use his own body as a shield, getting hit again in the back, this time lower down. He crashed to the ground, more sparks and energon flying, covering the ground in a bright white-blue liquid. Shockwave found the act rather amusing, if not illogical.

"Now tell me, Optimus Prime. Why did you go and do that? Don't your men need you? Don't they need a leader?" He said coolly, walking up to him slowly. Bumblebee stepped around in front of Optimus, glaring at him through his helmet, optics blazing with anger. He held his cannon up, the blue core of it pulsing and whirring madly. Shockwave was uninterested in the little scout, reaching out, swinging back and shoving him aside with a hard shove. The camaro went flying, landing hard on his side dirt and dust flying up around him. He made a small sound of pain, trying to get back up, only to find that several rocks had lodged in between his hip connections and servos, making it hard and excruciatingly painful to move. He watched in horror as Shockwave aimed his cannon right at his leader's face.

"Of course they need a leader," Optimus choked out, his vocalizers grinding. He managed to sit up a bit, his back searing with pain as his neural wiring harness fought to deal with the sudden severs in the systems. He looked up at Shockwave, his gaze, however, unwavering. "And they have a leader. There is always a leader amongst us should one of us perish." He finished defiantly, not looking away from Shockwave at all. If he was going down, he would go down honorably, as the Leader of the Autobots that he was. Shockwave's optic slitted at the other's words, otherwise not moving.

"It's illogical to sacrifice yourself, being the Commander. Every leader should know that. Unfortunately, even our belated Lord Megatron didn't realize that. Now he rests at the bottom of his Primus-forsaken water-logged dirt ball. And as logic should dictate, those who fail in that knowledge, should not lead." His gaze was cold and still, his words almost seeming to chill the air around them as his cannon charged up. "I would wish for the Allspark grant haven for your spark, but unfortunately for you, the Allspark no longer exists. Goodbye, Optimus Prime."

_:Duck.: _

Optimus didn't need to be told twice as he flattened himself against the ground, pain searing through his every servo. A sudden blast of golden energy shot past him, the blast close enough that he could feel the heat from it as it went past and slammed into Shockwave's chest. Shockwave went flying, slamming into the ground as he finally went earthbound, tumbling and crashing into the rocks that surrounded the base. When he finally came to a stop, it was face up, his chest and torso smoking, energon and sparks leaking and flying out occasionally. He didn't move at all after that. The damage to his chest was extensive. Optimus managed to sit up again, turning to see who his savior was.

Sunstorm was still on the ground, but he was conscious now. One hand was facing toward Optimus, smoke rising from his palm. His aura pulsed a dull golden glow about him, dimming as he powered down to normal levels again, containing the dangerous level of radiation that he contained. The jet looked at Optimus and nodded. He wasn't fully repaired, but he had been repaired enough for him to pull together that one shot and save Optimus. He knew that Shockwave had ordered him attacked. The fact that the mech was his creator was not even enough, however, to save his life. One had to do what they could to survive, and this was it. Sunstorm was now free, able to make his own choices without the commands of Shockwave, without Shockwave inputting more and more data and personality details into his processors to make the jet as he wanted him to be. No. Sunstorm was going to be who he was, who he wanted to be, from now on. This was the choice he had made. Optimus gave him a slow nod back.

:Thank you, Sunstorm.:

:...I did what I had to do, Optimus Prime. Don't worry about it.: Was all the jet said to the Autobot leader.

Bumblebee had seen the whole thing, finding himself eternally grateful to the irradiated Decepticon jet. He laid back, feeling relieved, unaware that Ironhide was in his own battle...

* * *

"Stop teleporting and fragging fight already!" Ironhide yelled, turning again as another cloud of dust hit him in the face. Skywarp had been distracting him from the predicament that Shockwave had put Optimus into. It worked rather well, too, considering the weapons specialist was already irritated and growing more angry by the moment. Skywarp was toying with his prey, teleporting in, saying something, then disappearing again as the older mech turned to face him.

"I'll win," the jet said as he appeared on Ironhide's left, disappearing as he saw two blue optics face him. Ironhide growled again, raising a cannon and whirling in whichever direction he thought Skywarp might appear next. But it was no use. Skywarp always knew which way Ironhide was, and knew where to appear. Right in front of him was not the best option, but always behind, or to either side was the best. He reappeared again behind the other mech, reaching out and striking the specialist hard against the back of the neck, where Mikaela had made repairs earlier. Ironhide cried out in pain, his vision pixelating. The jet disappeared again, enjoying this particular torment. He didn't give Ironhide a chance to recover as he reappeared in front of him, a launcher to the Topkick's torso.

"A gift from Megatron." He said simply, the armor plates on his face forming a delicious smirk. Ironhide took the split second to raise his cannons, aiming them at the voice and firing. At the same time, Skywarp fired and warped out. He didn't escape unscathed, though. One of Ironhide's shots were close enough to him and went with the jet to the sky, where he had been teleporting to. The missile exploded into the jet's side, severely damaging him. He teleported back to the ground to avoid falling too far. Skywarp's sacrifice didn't go in vain, however. The weapons specialist lay on his back several meters away, groaning softly as sparks spat from his body. He was still able to move, but he was in quite a bit of pain.

Skywarp held his side, running diagnostics as he stepped toward the black Autobot. He found that although the wound was deep, it hadn't hit any major systems. He would still be able to fly and teleport. He stayed far enough away from Ironhide, though, to make sure he didn't get attacked again. That was the last thing he needed. First his wing, then his side. It was most likely his life next. He still wasn't willing to risk that. He backed off, wanting to retreat and recover a bit before jumping back into the fray.

Above him, the earth jets still went after and attacked Starscream and Thundercracker, even after much debate about Starscream. In the end, orders from the Pentagon won over, and the orders took priority. Both jets were doing alright so far, but Thundercracker's wound was taking it's toll. He was running out of energy, and his movements had become sluggish and ill-timed. In a desperate attempt to save his own life, he had turned to firing on the human fighters, trying his best to only disable the fliers, not kill them. He was mostly successful, but two pilots had lost their lives already. Another missile flew through the air, catching him across the opposite shoulder to his first wound. Armor broke off and connections sizzled, precious energon flying from him and down through the air. A strangled cry rang through the air as he was hit. Fire still blazed from his thrusters, and he climbed higher, firing back at any jets that came after him.

:Starscream.: Thundercracker called over internal comms, his own already breaking up. :It -as an honor ser-- with you, Sir. Ta-- --of Mikaela. Sh-- --ecial.: He managed to choke out over the comm, his energy reaching a dangerous low. His thrusters wavered, shorting out several times. He began to fall, several human jets closing in on him. He aimed his launchers at the jets, still, to this end, only trying to disable the jets. Starscream banked around, heading right for Thundercracker. He was not about to lose one of his wingmates to this. Not now. Not after everything they had been through. He would not allow that to happen.

:Thundercracker! You are not deactivating! That is an order!: He yelled, twisting and turning around the other F-22s, trying to get to his friend. He didn't like how the other's comms sounded. They were weakened and full of static. It wasn't a good sign at all.

:..S-sorry...sir. H--ve fun, huh? S-say hi...to 'Warp...for me..: Thundercracker replied weakly, a half chuckle managing through the comm. Behind him, another jet fired a missile. Starscream turned true to his name for a moment, screaming out for his friend, his thrusters going to full blast. He fired two missiles of his own, trying to knock out the one the human pilot had fired.

One second too late.

One missile missed. One missile connected. The blast was too close, and knocked Thundercracker out of commission, sending him flying for the ground. The comm went deathly silent the moment that a large dust cloud appeared, rising from the ground and heading for the sky, almost like a tribute to the great warrior. Several flashes of soft blue light occured within the dust cloud, then faded slowly.

Starscream was in rage. He flew after Thundercracker, transforming and landing with a loud thud on the ground, creating a small dust cloud around himself. He waved away the remainder of the dust as he walked to Thundercracker, kneeling down next to him. He carefully slid his hands under his friend, trying to support him. Thundercracker's optics were dark, and none of his systems were registering online. There was a very faint pulsing in his chest, but even so, that was erratic. Thundercracker was on the verge of death, and was fading. His spark was nearly gone.

"...Thundercracker..." Starscream managed, his vocalizers choked and catching. There was no response. "Thundercracker." He said more firmly, his own optics flickering in fear.

The only response he got was a final flicker of the spark that had given Thundercracker his life, and then darkness.

* * *

Skywarp had seen it all. He watched Thundercracker, his best friend and wingmate, fall from the sky and hit the ground. He saw the dust cloud form, and he saw the sparks of energy from within the cloud. He saw Starscream land near him and go to him. It was possibly the one time that he was actually _scared_that Starscream didn't scream out in rage. He teleported down behind Starscream, looking down at Thundercracker in his Wing Commander's arms. Starscream didn't even move. Skywarp knew this wasn't good. He saw Thundercracker as he took a step closer, sensing absolutely nothing from his best friend. He stared for a moment, then stepped back. All the thoughts from the past month came rushing forward. This shouldn't have happened. It should _NOT _have happened! If only Starscream hadn't decided to help those damned Autobots... His fists clenched in anger as it welled up inside him. He stepped back again, raising an arm. The sound of metal shifting filled the air. Starscream finally moved, his head lifting a bit.

"...He wanted...to tell you...'hi'..." Starscream said quietly, his voice scratching. He slowly laid Thundercracker back down on the ground, his own frame shaking slightly. Above, the earth jets flew past, searching for them. As it stood right now, the dust cloud hid them from view, scrambling sensors. He stood slowly, not facing the other jet.

"...He would be able to tell that to me himself if it weren't for you." Skywarp spat out, his voice laced with rage. Starscream turned to face him finally, his optics dimmed slightly. His own clawed hands remained at his sides, those hands covered in the now-darkened liquid of Thundercracker's energon.

"Skywarp, he was fighting for-"

"No! Slaggit, Starscream! It's your fault! You LEFT us! You went to help the Autobots! What the slag did they need you for? Why did you stay? You left us, and Thundercracker followed! _And now he's dead! _What did you hope to accomplish!? Congratulations, Starscream, you just got my best friend _killed!_" Skywarp snapped back, his launcher wavering at Starscream. The Wing Commander's optics shifted, watching the launcher. With a jolt, he remembered Mikaela. If he got shot...he remembered the last time Skywarp fired on him, remembered seeing her fall in pain. He took a step back.

"...Skywarp..."

"Just..." Skywarp paused a moment, shaking his head, his processors overloading with the current information. "...Tell him hi for me."

* * *

Mikaela had been sitting across the table from Simmons, trying to figure out why he had called the Air Force. She shook her head in disbelief. Nothing was making sense. Simmons had told her that when Optimus had contacted Bumblebee, he mentioned that they were going to be under attack, and that was the reason why. But what Mikaela didn't understand was why they had attacked the Autobots, not the Decepticon who had attacked them. She covered her face in confusion for a moment, then lifting her head, pushing her hair back behind her ears. She glanced over at Sam, who was wearing a circle in the floor a few feet away from pacing. Mikaela raised an eyebrow at him, growing concerned. The entire time that she had been sitting here, she felt a growing tightness in her chest. It was making her uneasy, and she was worrying more and more.

"Sam...sit down...please." She asked quietly, still trying to sort out the facts. But something in the back of her mind kept tugging at her consciousness, like a red flag. A nagging that refused to go away. She stood, herself and walked to the other side of the room, biting her lip. Sam sat down finally, watching her. He looked at Simmons, worried.

"...If something happens to her..." he said, whispering to him. Simmons waved him off, apparently unconcerned.

"She'll be fine."

Sam looked at him, not liking the answer at all, or his attitude. He looked back at Mikaela, worried as she did her own pacing. Sam was more and more worried he had made a wrong decision. There had to be a reason that she was acting this way. He began to wonder just how strong her connection with Starscream was. He bit his own lip, looking down at the table, then back at Mikaela, watching her press her back against the wall and hug herself, sliding down the wall, tears beginning to fall. Sam stood up suddenly, alarmed. Simmons looked up, a look of worry clouding his own face. He stood as well, but keeping behind Sam.

"Mikaela?!" He asked, going over to her. She shook her head violently, shaking hard.

"T-Thundercracker...he..." She started, unable to finish the sentence. Sam blinked, reaching out to her, touching her shoulder.

"...How...can you tell?" He whispered, half afraid to know. The look Mikaela gave him made him regret telling Simmons to go ahead with the plan in a split second. Her eyes were filled with tears, her cheeks wet and stained. Her hair was sticking to her face as she choked back more tears, wiping her eyes with the palm of her hand, which was covered in dirt, sweat and dried blood from the cuts of earlier. Sam's heart broke, and Simmons took a step back, his own eyes widened slightly.

"...I can feel it. I can feel everything, Sam..!" She cried out, coughing, then crying again. She wiped her face again as Sam reached a hand under her chin, looking at her. He fought against his initial reaction, respecting her new choice in life. He realized too late that he had made a wrong choice. Mikaela was happy with Starscream, and he could tell her emotions were true. Furthermore, he knew that he was right. She would not have let herself get this far unless it was true for both her _and _Starscream. He shook his head.

"God, Mikaela...I'm so sorry..."

"..S-sorry for what...?" She managed to ask, her tears slowing as a strange worry and fear began to fill her heart and mind. She couldn't tell if it was her feelings or Starscream's...or both.

"...For doubting you. For doubting what you felt." He replied, looking at her. Mikaela stared at him, but something was wrong with her eyes. They seemed unfocused. Her eyes widened as she felt a wave of intense fear -for her-.

"...Star...no...SkywarpNO!" She screamed out suddenly, her mind filling with a horrible, intense pain.

Her entire body spasmed, and her head jerked back and hit the wall, her entire world going black in a sudden wave of silence...

* * *

A/N: I don't hate Thundercracker. As a matter of fact, he is one of my favorite characters. But the way everything played out as I wrote this, it just fell into place. It set everything up perfectly for the last scene. I hope you all enjoyed so far, and for those who want to kill me for TC's death...Can I offer chocolate and tissues? And that last "SkywarpNO!" is together on purpose.


	27. Chapter 26: The Dream Within

_Credits and Motivation go to:_ **Songs include:** "The Last Night", Skillet; "Made of Scars", Stone Sour; "Life is Beautiful", Sixx AM; "Love Me When I'm Gone",Three Doors Down; "See You On The Other Side", Ozzy Ozborne; "I'm Alive", Disturbed; "Reclusion", Anberlin; "Memories", Within Temptation. **Other motivation:** THE REVIEWS!

-heart-

I want to take the time to pause here for just a moment and explain a few things to my readers. It has been two years since I updated this story, which I had gotten unbelievable support from the reviews that were given. A lot of RL stuff happened and my story here kinda fell off the face of the earth. It wasn't until recently when Transformers: Dark of the Moon appeared in Theaters that I realized I still had some unfinished business to attend to. I found myself re-reading through my story (even finding inconsistencies and spelling errors...bad me!) and feeling the emotions I had while writing it. I began to feel rather guilty for letting things fall off and sit at Chapter 25 (26 according to Fanfic...). I felt worse seeing my last two reviews in 2010. I apologize sincerely for letting this drop for so much time. But, rest assured, the story continues here. And it will be finished. You will all get to find out what happens in the next several chapters. 27 is currently in progress, I will likely have it done by tonight or tomorrow afternoon. Thankyou to those who have read up to this point, and possibly still await the final installments, or have even forgotten this story was here until the notification appeared in your mailbox.

Thankyou again, and now, let us continue...

Also, this chapter does get a bit weird, but it is understandable once you realize what is going on. Enjoy!

**Chapter 26: The Dream Within**

_The tall grass swayed gently all around her as she sat at the top of a hill, one lone, very large oak tree to her back. Above her, the leaves rustled softly as the gentle breeze caught and played with the branches of the old oak tree. Her knees were drawn up against her chest, her arms draped around them. Her fingers were loosely intertwined together, keeping her arms up around her knees. She watched the wind play amongst the tall, thin stalks of the wild grasses, watching them wave slowly in the breeze. Her hair blew gently around her face, small tendrils of soft brown whisps brushing her cheeks gently. She smiled, just enjoying the peaceful tranquility of the scene. The sky above was clear and crystal blue, as of no chemicals had ever touched it. Not even a cloud could be seen on this perfect day._

_Rays of sunlight filtered through the tree to the ground, little spots of sunlight playing in the grass around where she sat. They played chase with the shadows and with each other as the leaves and branches of the tree became a marionette for the wind. Golden sunlight splashed softly across her hair and body as well, paying no heed to their playground. The air around was warm and comfortable, a perfect summer afternoon. The breeze brought cooler air in, bringing in a slight relief if the temperature got too warm. It always seemed to know when she needed that cooling breeze. _

_As she looked around, watching the calming scene around her, she began to slowly wonder why she had come here in the first place. What had brought her here? She couldn't remember what had happened before this place at all. Mikaela frowned, trying to remember where she had been before here. _

_Something had gone wrong. That was the first hazy thought that came to mind. As it did, the wind around her seemed to pick up a bit, carrying summer scents of fresh flowers and sun-baked wildgrasses. She breathed deeply, momentarily forgetting what it was she was trying to remember. The sun beat down hazily on the field of green grass, the seeded tips of each stalk turned golden by the warm rays of light. It gave the effect a beautiful green sea, water rolling slowly, golden foam and mists of that sea capping each wave. The scene was beautiful, almost as if it were a picture taken right from an alien planet she had never seen before._

_...An alien planet?_

_Mikaela's face became clouded in confusion, suddenly coming back to the task at hand. She let her legs go and she stood slowly, leaning to the right as she supported herself with one hand..._

_She found herself looking at her hands as she stood fully, the grass crunching underfoot. She stared at her hands for a moment, growing more confused. They had been injured, hadn't they? _

_But why would they have been injured? _

_The breeze picked up again, whipping around her, her hair flying across her face, distracting her. Annoyed, she reached up, brushing it back, idly wondering where her hair tie was. With a jolt, she remembered that it had fallen as she had been running._

_Running..._

_Running where..? _

_She closed her eyes, trying hard to remember. She felt it was important. She needed to remember._

-"Ratchet, will he be alright?"

_A voice she recognized somehow shot through her mind, opening a floodgate of memories. Her eyes flew open, but the scene in front of her didn't register anymore. Instead, her mind overwhelmed her, showing her images of her distant past all the way up to current, the most significant memories being those of a flight to space...her hands over a beautiful blue light, but an intense fear and worry clouding her mind...being captured...escaping with two other jets who had become her friends...then the last battle. She remembered in a flash standing, becoming more and more worried...Sam and Agent Simmons had been there...the worry...a sudden intense sadness...one of them had died...Thundercracker, that was his name...then everything faded to white, a jaded memory of intense pain, darkness and fear clouding her as everything faded, giving way to the white, then to the calming, low-rolling hills covered with grass. She fell to her knees, remembering everything now. Something had happened to Starscream. The one she loved. The one...she was bonded to. She clenched at the ground, grass rustling between her fingers as she did. She wanted to find him again, wanted to see him again. She needed to know that he was alright. But if he was...why was she here...?_

* * *

"...I've never seen anything like this before..." Ratchet mumbled softly, hovering over Starscream's still form. Once again, Ratchet found himself with his hands full of work. Nearly every mech, including himself, had been injured. The battle was over, the human jets having been recalled finally. Ratchet managed to get everyone inside, not seeing any notice of Skywarp anywhere. Just as well, many of them thought at the moment. Skywarp had managed to single-handedly offline Starscream, cracking open his spark casing, the blast ripping away several layers of armor. This damage was worse than the first time Skywarp had attacked him. The blast had burst through the jet's back as well, tearing through both of his wingplates. Half the armor on his face had been blackened, as well as much of his armor round the injury. But what had surprised Ratchet, was that, though very weakened, Starscream's spark still pulsed weakly. Something was keeping it alive. Ratchet shook his head in disbelief. Optimus looked over at Ratchet from his own recovery table, some of his more pressing injuries repaired. The lesser ones could wait. Right now, Starscream was top on Ratchet's list. Already he knew that the jet's repairs were going to take days...even weeks to finish.

"...What is it, Ratchet?" Optimus asked, curious and a bit concerned. It was rare that Ratchet was shocked, and usually if he was, it meant bad things. The medic glanced at his friend and leader, then back at Starscream, working carefully on his spark chamber, being as careful and precise as he could.

"..Something is keeping Starscream from leaving us completely. By all rights, Optimus," he said, pausing and turning to look at the leader, "Starscream should be gone. He should be whereever Thundercracker is right now." Ratchet finished softly, optics dimming slightly as he regarded the other. It was a pure miracle what was happening here. Optimus's optics shifted to look at Starscream, then looking over at Mikaela.

She was resting, but she wasn't sleeping. She was in a coma of sorts, her breathing shallow and quiet. Her face looked peaceful, a calm quiet overtaking her as if some invisible, mystical being had come near her and instilled a shroud of serenity around her. She had been that way ever since she had hit her head against the wall. Several monitors beeped quietly in a slow succession, showing her heart rate and blood pressure. Surprisingly, both rates were slow, a good sign. But no matter what they did, she wouldn't come out of it. Sam sat not far from her, watching her almost constantly. Occasionally he would get up and check on her, end up pacing for a good half an hour, and then sit back down, only to get up and pace again. Simmons sat in a chair off against a wall, just watching everything. He had already called for the medical assistance that he told Sam he would have, and two doctors were there now. They had been watching over her, doing tests, and continuously insisting that they needed to get her moved to a hospital. Each time, though, both Sam and Ratchet vehemetly refused for her to be moved. The medics even tried once, begining to wheel the bed out dispite Sam and Ratchet's protests. When a large metal hand came down in front of them, they stopped, seeing Optimus awake and refusing to let them take her. Optimus figured that if both Sam and his medical officer were fighting against the doctors taking her, they had good reason.

"She stays," he had said with final tone. The doctors knew that tone, as did everyone else. It was the tone of a commanding officer, and injured or not, that was a tone of voice you do not mess with, or disobey. Reluctantly the doctors let her stay, deciding to stay with her. Their coworkers had left, their numbers previously having been close to ten different members; paramedics, two nurses, several surgeons. None of them had known just what was wrong with her, eventually opting to leave two of their number behind to watch over her and record observations.

In the meantime, Ratchet continued working on Starscream, growing frustrated at the lack of precision tools he needed for this. Since arriving on earth, he had not had access to any of his tools, besides the basic ones he carried on him. Some of earth's mechanic tools were good, but at the same time, too small for him to handle. Optimus watched quietly, his processors going over the latest information that Ratchet had given him. How was it that Starscream was still alive? Another glance at Mikaela gave him an inkling of an idea.

"Ratchet...could it be the bond between him and Mikaela?" He asked quietly, keeping his voice down so as not to worry Sam too much. The thought of the bond holding Starscream back was both a good and bad thing. The medic looked at Optimus, back at Mikaela, then back to the leader. He shook his head in worry.

"It could...but that means one of two things. One," he started, raising a tool in the air to indicate the first thought, "..if for some reason Starscream can't...be revived, she will stay in that state for as long as she lives. And until the point she dies, Starscream will stay in a similar state." he said, speaking softly still. "Two," he continued, waving the tool a bit, "if we can bring him out of this...then she should as well and she will have, once again, saved his life." He finished looking over at the still form of Mikaela. He hoped for the latter to happen, of course. To have these two locked together in a virtual dreamworld where they couldn't even be aware of each other...he wondered how maddening that must be.

"...Do what you can, Ratchet. We aren't the only ones worried about her, or either of them, for that matter." Optimus stated, looking at Sam, who was hovering by Mikaela's bed again. Ratchet watched a moment, then nodded, turning back to Starscream and continuing his repairs, knowing that if Mikaela had never tried to save Starscream's life in the beginning, he would be long-gone by now. His spark would have disapated already. Once again, their bond was definately something special and a true miracle.

* * *

_She walked through the swaying fields of grass, seeing nothing in the distance. The hills had given way to flat fields, winds whispering through the tall grasses. It had felt like hours had passed, but yet, the sun hadn't moved at all. There was no way to tell time here, at all. Ever since her memories had come back to her, she had felt even more lost than she did before. She walked in a direction she felt was right, the oak tree now missing completely. At least she could walk in this place and have it show that she was going somewhere. She had no idea where she was going, but she continued walking. She almost wished she had some music to listen to on this apparent never-ending trek across the vast lands of her own mind. The quiet was enough to drive one mad. The soft sounds of the breeze wafting past was calming, sure, but at the same time...it brought an incredible sense of loneliness to her. It didn't help that she felt as if there were a part of her that was missing..._

_What felt like hours later she stopped at the edge of the grass, looking out to a vast desert of dried and cracked land. The wind rushed across the land, kicking up loose particles of dirt and depositing them at her feet and in her clothes. She raised a hand, trying to block the sand from getting in her eyes. As the wind died down, she could see sand dunes in the distance. Her heart sank as she saw the vast wasteland in front of her. How was she going to keep going like this? No water or food...Then again...it was her dream world. Why wouldn't she be able to make it? She ran a hand across her face, fingers slidng through her brown hair. Sweat streaked her forehead and soaked into her hair, pinning down the flyaways as she slid her hand back. She wished she had a hair tie at this point. She took a deep breath, and stepped out onto the long-dried surface, starting yet again on her search..._

* * *

Alone.

Angry.

Hurt.

Those were the best words he could have used to describe how he felt right now. He had lost his best friend and wingmate, and in his rage, turned on the only other true friend he had. Now, he was most likely dead, and the others were probably going to be out soon looking for him. Not that he blamed them, of course. Out of cold rage he had shot Starscream, and not once did he know about the fact that the other jet had been Bonded. He never knew what happened to Mikaela. He didn't even know that Starscream was still alive. Oh, he knew that the girl cared for the jet, but that was about it. Nothing more. All he knew right now, was that he regretted now firing on Starscream. It may have been his fault in some ways, but in the end, Starscream had tried to protect Thundercracker. He had been there in his dying moments. He had passed on the message like Thundercracker wanted. Thinking back, Skywarp realized that he had never seen his wing commander so quiet and still. Maybe Starscream had felt just as hurt and torn inside as he had. He shook his head, the F-15 deep in remorse and regret. One died...the other he killed. It was all he could think of. The feelings ripped at his spark, sending shocks of pain through his entire system. He had no idea what to do now. Not now that the two he confided in most...were gone.

He had found a place to the back of the base, behind the mountain. He couldn't bring himself to leave, a stray tendril of hope curling and twisting its way through his spark that maybe...just maybe...he hadn't killed Starscream. He was the only one outside; everyone else, including Sunstorm and Shockwave, had been moved inside for repairs. He found himself not caring what happened to Shockwave at all. But he began to think and wonder what it was that held Starscream with the Autobots. He wondered if it was the girl, or if it was something else. He saw no reason why Starscream would hold any interest in either the human or the Autobots. But something had, and something had changed him. He shook his head, the first doubts of the war now slowly permeating through him like smoke from inscense rising through the air slowly.

He found himself wishing only one thing.

To turn back time. To never have drawn his weapon against Starscream. At least then one of his friends would still be around.

He leaned back against a rockface, staring up at the sky, which was still dark. The clouds had covered the sky completely, and he could sense a hightened amount of electricity in the air. A thunderstorm was coming. He smiled to himself at that. A fitting way to end this night. He offlined his optics, letting his systems fall into a recharge cycle, to try and douse the pain, hurt and anger that clung to him, threatening to never let go.

* * *

_Sand drifted across the sand dunes like ripples of water, curling this way and that across the surface. Occasionally small dust clouds were kicked up when the wind was strong enough, wisps of light dust carried away to a new place. The sun above beat down harsly, the sand below foot reflecting it right back up, turning the land into a virtual oven. It seemed the further in -or out-, the hotter it got. The sky itself, though a striking light blue, cool as an azure pool, seemed hot and unforgiving. The wind rushed past, soft whispers of the earth swirling around in a constant dance, keeping the word of the beginning of time forever winding within its grasp._

_Faint grains of sand slid across a flat surface, near the color of sand itself. Some grains would escape, others would get caught between metal and alloys, wires and tubes. Starscream sat in this barren landscape, confused and worried. He had never seen this place before, and he had no idea what had happened. He managed to remember Thundercracker, and Skywarp pointing a weapon at him, but he didn't remember the blast that knocked him out cold, nor did he remember the searing pain that came with it. He just remembered a sudden, quiet blackness. Slowly, that blackness faded to this barren land. A part of him wondered if he had been deactivated for good. _

_He had been here for a good couple of hours, laying in one of the dunes, not sure if he should move or not. There was a strange emptiness within him, and that made his spark clench with a terrifying sickening feeling. He couldn't sense Mikaela at all. It was that realization that got him to his feet finally, sand falling off of his armor and out of cracks and creases as he began to walk in a direction, one that felt right to him. He needed to find her...no matter what._

_Behind him, the wind continued whispering past, wiping away any evidence that he had been there, the sand slowly filling in the place he had been. As he moved on, even his footsteps would fade, whisking away his presence, as if he never existed there in the first place. _

_As the world around him seemed to grow into a never ending vastness of sand and hopelessness, a sandstorm began to pick up. Dust and dirt blew everywhere around him, getting into places he didd't think sand could get into. It turned into nothing but a dark grey-gold cloud, separating him from Mikaela._

_She was only a mile and a half behind him._

* * *

Sunstorm woke slowly, not remembering ever offlining. He remembered blasting Shockwave, his creator, and saving Optimus's life, acknowledging the Autobot, and then...nothing. He figured that the blast he had delivered to Shockwave was enough to deplete the remaining energy he had and knock him back offline. He raised a clawed hand up to his face, trying to regain some sort of balance in his systems.

After a moment, he tried sitting up, feeling pain shoot through his systems as he moved. Internal alarms sluggishly came to life, slowly reporting a list of all remaining damage to his systems. Internal repair systems were working, though on minimal power. The blast and resulting drain on his systems forced the repair systems to work at a slower rate, thus slowing his healing ability. He paused for a moment, waiting for the pain to dissipate. After a few tries, he finally was able to sit up completely, though not without a slight groan of pain and aches. He looked around, his optics finally focusing on Ratchet some distance away, working on what appeared to be his brother, Starscream. He watched for a moment, trying to remember what all had happened. Finally, he gave in, resorting to asking.

"W-what..what happened...?" the irradiated jet asked, his vocalizers coming across cracked and fritzing. Ratchet paused, turning around, a surprised look on his face.

"Sunstorm? You're online, good. I was beginning to worry about you." the medic said briskly, turning back to Starscream. The sounds of his tools tinking against metal filled the air as Ratchet continued his repairs. "It was a near-massacre," he said finally, after a moment's pause. Sunstorm tilted his head a bit, the quiet sounds of servos working drowned out by the sounds of repairs from Ratchet's direction.

"Two human fatalities. There was almost a third, had Starscream not saved him." He paused again, focusing on a particularly difficult spot. Wires had been fused together in one spot, making things far more difficult.

"A-annn-d what of u-us?" Sunstorm asked, prodding gently. His voice was quiet, trying to keep from using it so much, considering the amount of static and catching his vocals were doing. Ratchet continued working, answering again after a moment.

"I sustained minimal damage, thanks to the insistance of Optimus and Mikaela. They insisted that I move inside, out of range. Optimus recieved several wounds, one of them severe. He's stabilized, however." He made a noise, pulling out the cluster of melted and fused wires, swearing softly in their native language. Sunstorm waited patiently for the medic to continue.

"Bumblebee came out the luckiest of all of us. He retained some dents and scratches, though the worst of his was several rocks and debris that had gotten into some of his joints. More pain than damage, really." He returned to his repairs, trying to figure out the best way to replace the wires he just pulled. Sunstorm continued listening, but glanced around, noting Mikaela on the small bed some distance away. Sam was passed out in a chair near her bed, completely exausted. He raised an optic ridge as Ratchet continued on. "Ironhide received several different injuries. Though most were somewhat severe, I was able to repair them without much difficulty. He's also stable."

"However..." the medic paused for a moment, a rattling sigh escaping him finally. This was news he really didn't want to tell. His optics dimmed a bit as he prepared to tell the bad news. "...Thundercracker sunstained heavy damage..."

Sunstorm looked over at the medic, his optics widening a bit as he heard the last bit. _Please...don't tell me..._he silently prayed.

"...He didn't make it." Ratchet spoke softly, grafting a wire in from another minor system of Starscream's to replace one of the previously damaged and removed ones. Sunstorm's expression went indescipherable, though shock was plainly clear on his metallic features. Hearing that Thundercracker -a mech he had come to know over the vorns as a friend- had been deactivated...he couldn't believe it. There was no way.

"...It's...n-not possible..." he started. Ratchet turned to look at him, a saddened expression written all over his face. He pointed behind Sunstorm, not needing to say anything else. Sunstorm turned, his entire frame showing his shock as he turned around. His shoulders and wingplates dipped down as he saw the still form of Thundercracker just a few meters away, placed carefully on the floor, as there were no tables large enough to hold any of them, save for in the main chamber where they had found Bumblebee initially. He had been brought in out of respect for everything he had done, considering that he had basically sacrificed himself to bring Mikaela back. Sunstorm stood, though slowly, making his way over to his downed friend. Ratchet watched for a moment, then continued on with his repairs, allowing the jet to have his time. He swore his spark never felt so heavy and depleted in the aftermath of battle.

_"The scriptures tell us of a time before time ever began. Primus lived then, and He had created our Allspark, from the very dust that floats between the stars, imbuing His Lifeforce into it when the time had come. He willed the Allspark to creat us, to give us life. Through this means, Primus Himself created us. _

_It is from Primus and the Allspark that we are created, and to Them that we Return. As our Spark dies, it rejoins the Well of All Sparks, thus never truely dying. _

_However. With the Allspark all but left to a single Shard, we can only hope that you find solace amongst the stars, or in the skies of a distant planet. The skies are yours to command now._

_Perhaps, you shall find your way home._

_Blessed by the Allspark and by Primus Himself may you be, Thundercracker of the Skies of Cybertron, and may His presence lead you back Home."_

Ratchet turned slowly as the jet had begun to whisper a soft, old prayer to his friend, recognizing the Ancient Texts and the Old Language. He thought no one ever remembered it. It had been passed down from generation to generation of their kind, but with the war, the stories and eventually the language faded from use and memory. How a mech as young as Sunstorm would know these words, he had no idea. But the fact of the matter was he did, and by reciting those words, he had bestowed upon Thundercracker one of the highest honors that any mech could ever receive. Prayers such as that had been reserved for the highest-ranking, primarily in the High Council when they were still alive and along with that, those highest ranking who did not deviate from their chosen path. In Thundercracker's case, he wasn't one of the highest ranking, nor would he have been considered loyal by Decepticon standards now, considering he had helped Mikaela get back to the Autobots and disobeyed a direct order from his superior, Shockwave. His body would have just been tossed out with disgrace, and not even have his body considered for repair parts for mechs in horrible need of repairs or replacements.

So when Sunstorm began reciting that prayer, it had taken Ratchet by surprise. The medic paused in all repairs and stood and listened, a show of respect for both jets. He waited a moment more after Sunstorm finished his quiet prayer, admiring how he had even added on the last bit about the Allspark having been turned merely to a shard.

"...What he did...was very courageous and honorable, Sunstorm," Ratchet said softly. "I'm sure he would be very grateful for your gift." He continued watching Sunstorm, whose back was still to the medic. He merely nodded in response, resting a hand on the fallen mech's shoulder gently for a moment. Ratchet's expression changed slightly, more back towards a feeling of remorse, finally turning back around to continue on Starscream's long and tedious repairs. It was a mess of broken metal and fused wires, which in turn shorted out systems and connections, preventing the Wing Commander from coming back online. Still, the bond to Mikaela was quite possibly the best thing that could have happened to the jet; it was buying Ratchet the much-needed, precious time he needed to get the repairs done to Starscream that he would not have had time for had the bond not been there.

"...What happened to Starscream?"

Ratchet looked up yet again, jolted out of his thoughts as Sunstorm asked him about his brother. The F-22 took a couple of steps toward Ratchet, looking at Starscream, curious of his damages and what was keeping him from coming back online. Ratchet sighed again, his ventilation systems whirring softly.

"Near as we can tell, Skywarp found him near Thundercracker when..." his voice trailed off a moment, knowing the spark-hurt was still fresh for Sunstorm about Thundercracker's death. "We think that he shot Starscream out of rage and confusion. It is possible he might have thought that Starscream had killed Thundercracker." He watched Sunstorm, judging his responses and speaking accordingly, to try and keep the blow as gentle as possible. "He nearly deactivated as well. Primus, he _should_ have," He said, shaking his head as he turned back to Starscream, "The only thing that has kept him from completely leaving us is her." Ratchet turned, pointing at Mikaela. Sunstorm looked at her, then nodded slightly.

"They are Bonded..." Sunstorm said quietly, the comment meant as a statement rather than a question. He already knew they had been Bonded, and had sworn to himself to keep the information confidential to those who didn't know of the situation. He understood what Mikaela had been talking about when she asked him about his position in the war. He had thought about the entire situation, realizing that there was no true reason to fight anymore. The cause had morphed into something that wasn't even tangible anymore. He only knew of the war's breakout through history files. He had read much of them, learning the reasons behind actions, why the war had started, and what caused the buildup to it. Now, it was more just a quest for power from the Decepticon standpoint, and the Autobots were trying to simply balance things out, and keep the Decepticons from taking over the entire galaxy. He knew this now, and had made his choice.

"Yes, they are." Ratchet replied, figuring that the only way he would have known was if Mikaela had allowed the information to be known. Either way, she would have had to tell them because of her attempt at contacting Starscream. "Somehow, that Bond alone is managing to support Starscream's spark, and keep him with us."

Sunstorm looked over at Ratchet with an amazed look on his face. Never in his entire time being online had he heard of such a thing. When two mechs were Bonded, if one deactivated, then the other would still be online, though in a severe state of pain for quite some time. The Bond, in human terms, would be like being connected at a deep level mentally, as well as being married. If two humans were able to Bond, then they would be able to communicate directly through a form of telepathy. It was like that naturally for Cybertronians. But for two different species to Bond was completely unheard of, nor had it ever been done. So understanding exactly what would happen with a situation like this was damn near impossible.

Ratchet saw the look on his face and nodded, guesturing at her.

"It's true. I am guessing that is why her vital signs are so low and why she hasn't woken up yet." He said, running yet another scan on her vitals. Her heart rate was low, though on occasion it picked up a bit. Her blood pressure was lower than what was considered normal and her breathing was slow. Her brain activity, however, was higher than what the medic expected, considering her other heath signs. He ran an a scan on her that was similar to an electroencephalogram, or EEG, measuring the activity of the neural pathways of her brain. He shook his head, amazed.

"I am forever amazed and intrigued by the human race." He mumbled half to himself. Sunstorm looked over at him with a curious look, to which Ratchet gave a soft chuckle.

"All of her vitals are at a lower level than what would be considered normal for humans. However, her brain activity...is much higher." He watched her, then shifted, his expression changing to a more serious tone. He looked back at Starscream, then back at her, things finally clicking into place.

"...She's in stasis lock...or rather, a coma, as humans would call it. The only difference...is her brain activity. I believe she is actually communicating with Starscream...or trying to. I think that is what is keeping Starscream with us," Ratchet said, worry entering his voice. If this continued, or if Starscream just couldn't hold on...he wondered what would happen to Mikaela.

"..She could die, couldn't she?" Sunstorm asked, taking the words right out of Ratchet's processors. The medic only nodded.

"I need to get back to work. Sunstorm, I suggest you rest. Your systems still need more recharging." He said briskly, turning around and returning to repairing Starscream. The other jet nodded once, returning to where he had first woken up. He sat down, metal scraping against metal as he laid down, preparing to fall back into recharge. Ratchet spared a glance at him, his own processor now filled with worry over not only one patient, but two.

* * *

_The sand swirled around her feet, making her sink into it a bit with each step. The harsh winds and biting sand didn't help her situation any, either. The wind only made the sand feel like broken glass against her bare skin, making it feel raw and throbbing. She held her arms against herself, one arm over the other, trying to shield her arms from the harsh conditons. Several times she wanted to stop and find a place to sit, back to the wind, to try and wait out the storm. But she pressed on, hoping with each step she would get closer to whereever it was she was going. She didn't know where she was headed, she just knew that this was the direction she needed to go. _

_Her hair wasn't helping matters. No matter how many times she would brush it out of her face, the wind would thrust it right back in front of her eyes, blocking her view. She tried once literally tying her hair in a knot in the back of her head, but after just a couple minutes it slipped out and flew free again. There was no winning that battle. So now, it was either deal with the wind-whipped hair, or deal with more sand ripping into her arms as she tried to hold it back with one hand. Finally, after a strand of hair caught her in the eye, causing pain, she reached up and pulled it all together, just holding it. She would deal with the sand._

_Though she kept moving, the trek was slow going. It felt as if no matter how long she kept going, she wasn't getting anywhere. The wind and sand cut down her visibility, and to keep sand out of her eyes she ended up squinting quite a bit. The seemingly endless winds and grating sand made it seem like she was staying in one place, which she knew wasn't happening. _It's nothing but an optical illusion,_ she thought to herself, taking one step after the other, fighting her way through the din. Wind howled at her ears like a pack of wolves chasing at her heels, inches away from biting, but never catching up. _So close yet so very far away,_ she mused irritably as she fought on, struggling to keep up against the winds._

_Several times the gusts of wind became so great they nearly knocked Mikaela off her feet. More than once she stumbled, the sand catching and tripping her as it seemingly swallowed her feet. After what seemed like an endless amount of time fighting through the wind and sand, she stumbled to a stop, pausing for a moment's rest._

_"You have _got_ to be joking me..." she said to herself, annoyed, irritated and exausted. She once again swept the hair from her face, but the wind refused to relent, blowing it right back into her face. That was the last straw. _

_"STOP ALREADY!" She screamed out in utter irritation, her hands clenching into fists at her sides as she yelled, her face to the sky and her eyes closed._

_The wolves at her feet stopped howling, the wind dying down almost instantly, sand gently drifting to the ground in wisps of dust. The sky around her cleared to the gentle, cool azure tone again, the bright gold sun beating down once again. Mikaela opened her eyes slowly, shocked that her sudden outburst actually silenced the winds. She looked around, a flash of light catching her eye. What else she saw stunned her even more than the winds quieting at her command._

_All around, pieces of what looked like metal seemed to meld with the sand and sky. Not ordinary metal...she had seen this kind before. Her face scrunched in a look of confusion and curiousness as she took a step toward one of the pieces, then another, until she found herself walking toward one. She needed to know if she was right. As she got closer, she could see what appeared to be jagged edges, almost as if torn and thrown into the ground. A sudden shock of fear shrouded her as she began to run for that piece, afraid to find the worst._

_Upon closer inspection, however, the torn edges moreso appeared to be cut at right angles at different places, as if made for a larger piece of a puzzle. She knelt down, one hand reaching out to it, her fingers brushing against smooth, cool metal. _

_"...It's cool..." she mused, a bit surprised. In a desert like this, that metal should have been hot. Unless... "It's Cybertronian.." she said quietly to herself, her fingers brushing against faded symbols she had come to recognize as her new-found friend's native language. She stared at it for a time, wondering what this could have meant, why this metal was in her dreams. She stood, looking around more. In one area off to the distance, the metal became more and more frequent, concentrating around one spot. She bit her lip, and set off in that direction, feeling even more certain that was where she needed to go..._

* * *

The past few weeks had been excruciatingly hard on Sam. It had taken so much for him to be strong, to keep inside everything he had felt, to support so many decisions. Watching everything that Mikaela had done, everything she had been through, it had worn him thin. Now, watching her basically be the lifeline to Starscream, the one thing that held him in this world...he wasn't sure what to think anymore. His mind was so frayed after it all. He pulled his head up heavily from his arms as they had rested on Mikaela's bed and turned to look at Ratchet, watching the Autobot medic deep in concentration in his work on the Decepticon -once-Decepticon?- flyer, Starscream. He watched for just a few minutes, his eyes watering up slowly. He closed his eyes against the pain, the memories of the recent battles flying through his mind as he stood quietly from his chair, making his way out of the hanger-turned-medbay and down the hallway. The halls were still damaged and broken from the fight that downed Starscream the first time. He sighed as he walked past the area that he had fallen, marked by several dried spots of liquids and lubricants from the jet. He continued on, making his way outside, only to find it raining hard, a thunderstorm in full swing. He didn't care. He found his usual boulder just outside the door and sat down, letting the rain fall on his face, soaking him completely.

The rain hid the tears that finally fell, the ones he had hidden this entire time. Yes, he was hurt over what had transpired, what Mikaela had found in Starscream. He still didn't understand it. But while he was happy for her, he was still ripped apart inside. Never again would he have her the way he did once before. As things stood now...she would either be locked in a coma for the rest of her life, she would live and be brought back with Starscream with the help of Ratchet...or they would both die. The last thought alone made him cover his face with both hands for a moment, hiding the pain that tore at his face. After a moment he lowered his hands and lifted his face to the sky, letting the rain fall and splatter his face with cold drops of water, hitting like like little pellets. He felt the water fall down his face and the rest of his body, his clothes now soaked and cold. His eyes closed, it was a personal plea for Mikaela to make it out...even if it meant he could never hold her the same way again.

If only she would just live.

He was so lost in his own inner thoughts that he didn't hear the soft sudden burst of air a few meters away from him, soft whirring sounds and servos clicking quietly, masked by the rain that spattered on the ground loudly, joining with the already wet ground in a natural song that only Nature could tell the beat to.

"Where is he?" asked a quieted, solemn mechanical voice, the same voice laced thick with regret. Sam's eyes snapped open and he nearly fell off his boulder, instead catching himself and jumping off the rock, backing away from the Decepticon that stood near him suddenly. His eyes went wide, and he held one arm out, as if trying to prevent any possible attack. The Decepticon looked at him and sighed softly, shaking it's head, discernable wingplates shifting downward, though one was half destroyed.

"Where is he, human?" Skywarp asked again, not looking at Sam at all. Sam blinked, his hand lowering a bit as he shifted a bit, rubbing the side of his leg with one hand.

"W-who?" He asked carefully, his voice shaky and uncertain. He really wasn't ready for another battle, not to the extent that they had experienced before. The Decepticon jet finally looked at him and made a noise, half growling.

"Starscream. Who else?" Skywarp replied, his tone one of disbelief, as if thinking that Sam honestly should have known that. Sam blinked again, looking at the entryway of the base and back to the jet, stammering.

"I- he...he's inside...Ratchet.." He barely managed out, his voice cracking a bit. He shut his mouth, swallowing, trying again, this time his voice catching bad, not letting him talk. He watched as the other jet shifted, turning towards him.

"He is still alive, then?" He asked, his voice suddenly turned hopeful, the expression on the jet's face lighting up a bit, those wingplates shifting up slightly. He bent down a little, trying to see the human in front of him a bit more clearly in the nighttime rain. The dim lights from the outside of the base were barely enough to illuminate anything, considering the bulbs were rather old and needed replacing. The fixtures could use a bit of fixing up, too, Sam thought idly as he stared back at the Decepticon. He sighed softly and relaxed a bit, beginning to believe that the other was not here to cause harm this time. He nodded slowly.

"Yeah, barely..." Sam said slowly, not sure if he should be saying anything about Mikaela and what she and Starscream had...and that it was probably keeping the jet alive. He watched as the one in front of him actually sat down on the ground, as if in relief.

"Thank the Matrix...I...I never should have..." He said quietly, his own voice servos catching here and there. The damage to him was still severe, but the leaks had been fixed enough to stop him from losing any more vital fluids to his systems. His other repair systems would have to build back up in order to fix the rest of the damage. Sam raised an eyebrow at him.

"Should have what?" He asked, taking a slight step forward, forgetting the rain that continued pouring down over the both of them, soaking them both to bone and frame alike.

"Fired on him. He was my friend...I was..angry." The other confessed finally after a few moments of debating. If anything...guilt over shooting the only real friend he had left lead him here, to try to figure out some sort of solution...or at least find out if Starscream was still alive at all. Under normal circumstances, he would never have even thought twice about coming here to find out anything...but for Starscream, Thundercracker...Primus, even Sunstorm, he would have eventually been overridden with guilt enough to at least see if there was anything worth having hope for. He watched Sam, who got a rather strange look on his face.

"You...YOU shot him? You nearly killed him?" Sam asked incredulously, one hand going to his hip, the other to his mouth as he took a step back, turned around, took a step forward, then turned around again to face Skywarp and step back towards him. "You're lucky, you know...you're SO damn lucky!" He yelled, watching the other draw backwards a bit, the jet taken aback by the little human's outburst. Sam stepped up to him more, pointing a finger at Skywarp. "You have no idea...and now you...YOU get your friend back if Ratchet can save him...and me? I get nothing back..I sacrificed EVERYTHING! She's gone because of HIM...and SHE is the one holding YOUR friend alive! Ratchet thinks I didn't hear that part of the conversation, but I did. I know what is going on, and YOU!" He cried out, the object of his attack pulling back slightly, a bit confused. "You...you are the one who PUT her in a fucking coma! I HATE your war! WHY! Why did you have to come HERE! You ruined everything...EVERYTHING! Jeez! Why!" He yelled out, walking in a small circle, frustrated and venting. Skywarp watched him with wide optics, his own spark pulsing slightly with even more regret.

"I am-"

"Sorry! Is that what you were going to say?" Sam snapped back, stopping his pacing and stepping up to him, his face angry and hurt. "Sorry doesn't cut it! Sorry isn't going to bring her back...Sorry isn't going to bring Jazz back, or Thundercracker, or anyone else you all have killed in your pointless war!" He yelled again, and pointed to the doors of the base. "She's in there right now, in a coma because you shot him! She was everything to me! She still is! But I lost her...and now I face losing even her friendship because of your stupid war! Why don't you just stop! Just stop! Why can't you just stop!" He cried out, his body shaking from anger and cold. Skywarp watched the small human before him, a bit confused about what he was talking about.

"What...are you talking about? The girl, what does she have to do with Starscream?" He asked, not having been privy to the fact that she was bonded to the Decepticon Air Commander. Sam grew angry even more at this point, and just laid it on the table. He held his temples with his fingers for a moment, eyes closed in frustration.

"She's-she's with him..wh-what, 'bonded' or something...whatever you call it. She's literally holding him here somehow." He growled out, his hands dropping and glaring at the other, whose optics widened considerably at the information. Sam paced back and fourth again a bit, not seeing the expression on Skywarp's face. He briefly considered that telling Skywarp could have in fact been a very unwise choice, but remembering how Skywarp seemed to be reacting to what he did to Starscream, well...if the bonded F-22 made it out alive, chances are Skywarp would find out anyway, and most likely by Starscream himself.

"That's...not possible." the jet said quietly, confused. Sam spared a glance at him, eyeing him.

"Yeah that's what they all thought. Looks like they were all proved wrong, huh?" He said with a hint of sarcasm. He reached up, wiping the water off his face, slicking back his hair in the still-pouring rain, the sound of the rain spattering against everything in a wet harmony of plicks and plops of drops hitting puddles threatening to drown out his words as the rain came down harder. Skywarp went silent for a few moments, his thoughts rushing through his processors. He didn't understand how something like that was even plausible. Their systems were created for a type of bonding via thier sparks, similar to a human marrige, but on a much deeper level. For a human to do that...there shouldn't have been any way of surviving the massive amounts of electricity that would have -should have- been exchanged. The only way a human could survive is if it was something done over a long period of time. He tilted his head slightly, servos and connections whining quietly in the rain, nearly drowned out. Whether he understood it at this point or not was irrelevant. It had happened, and now here he was, standing with one of the humans who had been affected by his own action of shooting on Starscream. He watched Sam for a few moments, debating. He wanted his friend back...but with this news of the girl and him...what was the best course of action? He looked down at Sam, who finally sat back down on the rock, leaning forward and covering his face with his hands again, hurt and annoyed all over again.

"You want her back, don't you?" he asked quietly. Sam looked up at him half-heartedly.

"...I just want her happy." was the simple reply.

* * *

The sudden sound of a cannon whining to life broke Ratchet's concentration as Bumblebee aimed his cannon at the entrance to the medbay hanger. Ratchet turned around, dropping a tool on the ground as he took in a view of Skywarp standing in the doorway, arms down and wingplates dipped down. As always, wings were once again a dead giveaway to a Seeker's emotions. He was covered in dirt, smears of burn marks and completely soaked. A second glance told him the other wasn't armed. The third glance found Sam standing at the mech's foot, soaked just as bad as the Seeker he stood next to. Bumblebee lowered his cannon slightly, confused.

"He said he wanted to help..." Sam said, shrugging a little, glancing up at the clearly distraught mech next to him.

It was all that was needed to say before Ratchet waved in the Decepticon flyer, grateful for any help at all. With Skywarp helping, the work should be faster, considering each of them had a knowing of their own systems. Bumblebee lowered and retracted his cannon, the metal plates shifting and sliding back around to form his hand again. Sam went over to Mikaela's bed again, sitting down, not caring that he needed to change. Ratchet glanced at Sam, sighing a bit.

"You should retrieve dry clothing, Sam," the medic said, not wanting Sam become chilled more than he already was. A scan told him that the human's body was a couple degrees lower than what it should have been. He let out a defeated sigh when Sam only waved him off, not caring about his clothes. They would dry.

* * *

_The longer she walked, the more metal melded with the earth and sky she saw. The sun beat down harshly still, the previous sandstorm that had ailed her showed no signs of having ever happened, aside from the red, wind-ripped skin and tousled hair. She stopped finally, still seeing everything so far in the distance. She felt exausted, tired from everything. She sat down finally on the hot sands, ignoring the heat that rose from the sand in waves, trying to overheat her. She closed her eyes, trying to regain some of her energy back after the hours of endless walking she had done._

_It felt hopeless. The distance traveled, the time spent, everything she had gone through...she felt so overwhelmed through all of this. She sat in the sand for a bit, drawing her knees to her chest again, her hands around her knees, her eyes welling up a bit in tears. It was just so much. Just what exactly was she walking towards? How did she know she was even going towards what she wanted? How did she know it wasn't some trap of some sort? She didn't. She closed her eyes against the fear and worry, trying to calm herself again. She remembered the soft, calming feeling she felt when she first contacted Starscream through their bond...and she found herself smiling a bit through the tears. She wanted that calm, comforting feeling again. Behind her eyelids, she saw only darkness. She found herself searching for that familiar ball of light again, wanting to dip her hands into that light, to hold it, and be that comforting presence again. _

_Within seconds of her concentrating, the mock-spark image appeared...but it was so small and dim. Mikaela gasped softly, realizing what was going on finally, reaching out for that small energy ball gently, her hands cupping around it, as if to hold it and keep it safe. She began to cry softly, feeling how little energy was flowing from it. She could barely feel the gentle tingle and warmth from it anymore. It scared her, and she wanted to be that energy...to restore it somehow. She wanted him to live. She gritted her teeth, her eyes opening again, but deep in her mind's eye, she held that small spark of life in her hands, intent on keeping it safe. She stood again, a renewed sense of determination flowing through her, pushing her towards her destination, where a brilliant light now seemed to swirl and twist around in place where all the strange metal seemed to coalesce into one point. To get there would mean to use the energy there to restore Starscream's spark...at least, that was the feeling she got._

_She pressed on, one foot in front of the other, her pace quickened and renewed. This was a chance she had to take...for both of them._


	28. Chapter 27: Full Force

Musical Inspiration:

"Anywhere" - Evanescence, "Hands" - Jewel, "Hello" - Evanescence, "Tough Enough" - Vanilla Ninja, "Unbreakable" - Fireflight; "New Divide" and "What I've Done" - Linkin Park; "To the Moon and Back" - Savage Garden; "Battle", "Shockwave's Revenge", "The World Needs You Now", "It's Our Fight" - Transformers: Dark of the Moon Score (Steve Jablonsky, the best score writer EVER.)

Other Inspiration: The reviews I went back and read, and all the readers. *heart!*

**Chapter 27: Full Force**

It had been two days since the last battle. Everyone was on a nerve's edge. Ironhide, Optimus and Sunstorm were mostly recovered. Shockwave, though he was brought in, was too severely damaged from the blast that his creation had given him. His spark had dissipated long ago, presumably shortly after the seeker had fired at him. Sunstorm still had the most damage, but his regenerative systems were increasing in speed, and his injuries were slowly healing right before Ratchet's optics. Sam was still hovering around, having slept the last two nights in the medbay near Mikaela, who was still unconscious. Starscream was also still out cold, though Ratchet had managed to stabilize him and repair him almost completely with Skywarp and eventually Sunstorm's help. But regardless...the two of them were still completely immersed in a strange coma-like state.

Currently, Ratchet sat in a vigil near Starscream, monitoring vital signs. Everything was operating properly. Spark capacity, casing stabilizers, energon flow, everything...he sighed, and shook his head softly, not noticing the mech who had come in behind him quietly.

"How is he?" Said a quiet and solemn voice, the deep voice of the Autobot Commander, Optimus. Ratchet started, then looked behind him, his optics looking a bit sad and confused. He let out a rush of air, shaking his head again and looked back over at the still form of Starscream before him.

"Stable, for now." the medic said, worry creeping into his soft metallic voice. He ran yet another scan on both, the results revealing the same thing he had found every time since last night. Everything was working perfectly. They should have been out of this state by now. "What worries me is that they haven't come out of it yet. Starscream has been repaired, his spark is nearly at full strength again." He said, looking at the jet in front of him. "But...I don't understand." He admitted, his voice sounding resigned. Optimus looked between Ratchet, Starscream, Mikaela and then Ratchet again. He carefully put a hand on his friend and medic's shoulder gently.

"We must be strong for them. For you, it is to take care of them and make sure no further harm comes to them. They are counting on you for that. For the rest of us...we must support them however we can. We must be there for them, and keep our hopes up for them to return to us. They will. You and I both know that." Optimus said, a sureness surrounding his voice, a pillar of strength to the weary. Ratchet nodded with a sigh, looking over at Mikaela. "She's a brave human...let's hope she can bring him back the rest of the way." Ratchet said in a soft voice, wanting to believe what his Leader said, wanting to believe that the two of them would make it out alright...out of whatever it was they were in.

* * *

_The sand she walked across seemed to try to keep pulling her back from her goal, sliding up around her feet with each step she took, like a dry quicksand. She refused, however, to let the landscape of her mind take her hostage. Still far in the distance was her goal. All around her the ground and sky seemed to become more and more of metal. A few times she had already walked across cool, iridescent-silver metal that seemed alive, or even come alive at her touch. The closer she got to the bright light that swirled with its own life in front of her, the more the metal became a part of her surroundings. But the closer she got, the more the sand seemed to become more determined to take her back. Mikaela had no idea where she was headed, only that she felt this was where she needed to go if she was going to save Starscream's life. Deep within her mind, she still delicately held onto that soft ball of light, the Spark-like energy that she felt was more important than anything, a representation of Starscream's Spark, possibly the Spark itself. It was this determination, the love she knew she held for the mech, that kept her going. Not once did she even realize that she was held here indefinitely until she managed to awaken him. She wouldn't have cared if her life were in danger. All she cared about was making sure that this small spark made it to that swirling, calming light in front of her._

_The plates of metal in the ground and the air began to shift around her, closing in on her slowly. At first she didn't notice, but the more they moved, the more she became aware of it. The pieces would fit together like a giant game of Tetris, the ground becoming solid metal. Her heart began to race, worried this was a bad sign. She began to run, following the brilliant white light in front of her. It was still too far out of reach. She thought she saw it dimming as the metal began to close in, the sand falling between the cracks and leaving her to the dark metal world that now surrounded her. Within minutes, she stood in a field of pure metal, spikes protruding from the ground in a few sporadic places. She stopped in her tracks and looked around, seeing a landscape...no, a _world_, that she didn't recognize. Far off in the distance, a crystalline structure stood, glittering in a brilliance and glory she had never seen before. It took her a moment to realize it was a city. Off to another direction, lights and lasers danced across the sky, creating a beautiful light show. She blinked, her eyes following the lasers to the sky...to stars she had never seen before. She looked down to her own feet, her hair flopping down around her face slightly as she noticed the ground under her feet was completely metal. In a slow realization she understood where she was, even if it was in her own mind._

_"Cybertron...his world..."_

* * *

Skywarp sat outside, staring at unfamiliar skies once again. The news that Starscream, by all rights, was fine, calmed him a bit. But the fact he hadn't come out of stasis worried the slag out of him. What if he had irreparably damaged something that even Ratchet hadn't figured out? Then there was the girl, Mikaela. The fact that there was a bond between the two still made the entire thing seem...absolutely out of the question. There wasn't any way. And yet, his wing commander still managed to do it. Starscream was full of surprises, apparently.

Skywarp sighed, intakes whirring with the fresh air of this planet. Perhaps he could learn to like this planet. It wasn't Cybertron, and it certainly didn't have the energy resources that they needed...those resources might one day force them off-planet in search for what they needed. For now, he was content to stare off into the distance, contemplating everything that had happened. What would Starscream do to him once he finally awoke? Would he forgive him? Would his wing commander turn on him and blast him to bits for nearly killing him? He didn't know. The Starscream he knew would retaliate...after some form of complete humiliation. That damned Seeker had learned well enough from Megatron, but there was always something holding him back, too. Maybe it was everything they had gone through. Skywarp sighed again, his hands covering his face for a moment, remembering the times before the war, how close the three of them had been. Always joking, laughing, and enjoying each other's company. Flight races were always held when going from one place to the other, the loser always ending up with whatever dismal task that the other two didn't want to do. Sometimes that task wasn't even real, like sucking the slag out of the bottom of the smelting pits in Kaon. It was all good-humored jokes and fun with them back then. It was these memories that had drove him to come back to help. But the war had changed them all. Some...for the worse.

Skywarp was so deep in his thoughts he hadn't realized Optimus was several meters behind him, watching the seeker, contemplating what to say to him. It was the soft, rumbling sigh that Optimus gave off that alarmed the F-15 and made him whirl, standing up in the process, a rocket launcher shifting around his arm, pointing at the mech that had snuck up on him. Optimus took a step back, raising his hands.

"It's alright, Skywarp, it's just me." Optimus said calmly, watching the other, his hands indicating he was not armed and not here to cause any problems. Skywarp was understandably on edge, but once he realized who it was, his arm dropped, the parts of his launcher shifting and returning to his normal hand. Skywarp shifted and took another step back, not sure what to say or do around the Autobot Leader.

"Optimus...I didn't realize..." the flyer started, but was calmed by the semi by a wave of his hand.

"It's alright. It's understandable you are on edge, Skywarp." he said, sitting down on the ground near the rock that Skywarp had been just seconds ago. "I only came to talk, I promise." Optimus paused a moment, a question on his mind since the Decepticon had come back after the fight. "What made you return?" He asked, looking up at the seeker. Skywarp looked down at the leader in front of him and growled softly, turning away and crossing his arms. Who was he to ask such a question? The more he thought about it, however, the more he realized he had every right, considering the fact that Skywarp himself had started the entire battle with his single shot to Ironhide. His intakes whirred softly as he sighed, looking to the stars above them, watching a few small clouds waft lazily across the stars he was staring at.

"I...I felt guilty. I shot one of my only best friends out of anger, Optimus. But I think you are fully aware of that fact by now." He said, his voice dripping with irritation. Prime nodded, looking up to the same clouds that Skywarp had been looking at. He watched as it seemed to separate into three different -no, wait, four- cloud streaks. The leader of the Autobots chuckled to himself quietly at the natural irony.

"I think you will find, Skywarp, that he will forgive you." He said, his voice lighter and softer than the last couple days. "A lot has changed in him over the last few weeks. I understand you are aware of the situation between him and Mikaela?" He asked, looking up to the other, who stared at the four streaks the cloud made, hiding his emotions by staying turned away. Skywarp wasn't too good at unveiling his own feelings. For the longest time, he swore that he was following the Decepticon ideals because they wanted righteousness for those that had been turned down. Or so he thought that's what they had wanted all this time. Oh how the cover had been pulled over his optics as of late. This last battle, the moment he shot his mentor, his friend, his wing commander...that cover came flying off and he saw what he had truly become under the rule of Megatron and Shockwave. He shook his head.

"I don't deserve that forgiveness." He said simply. "And yes, I am aware."

Optimus merely shook his head.

"Let Starscream be the judge of that...when he awakens. And he will. Mikaela will be able to bring him back...if anyone can, she will."

"And what of when she awakens? Knowing the link they have...would she know I was the one...?" Skywarp asked, more curious than concerned. It was highly unlikely that she could ever do anything to hurt him, even if she tried. Optimus stood, taking a step over to the Seeker and resting a hand on the shoulder that hadn't been injured.

"I am sure she might be upset for a while. But just be honest. But I think what they are going through now...will be worth what happened." The red and blue mech turned to head back to the hangar. "Everything they go through strengthens the bond they have. They will be inseparable after this. In the end...she might even thank you." He suggested, pausing for a moment more, deciding on one more thing to say.

"Skywarp...don't underestimate your friendships. When there is nothing more to rely on, when all that is left around you is destruction and rubble, your friendships are what keep you going. Never forget that." He finished, walking back to the base doors without another word, hoping he instilled a sense of hope within the latest possible addition to their ranks. His words were spoken from experience, and the Seeker knew this. Skywarp turned and looked after the Autobot Leader, confused about how that mech could always have such a bright outlook on things. All Skywarp had ever known was fighting, war, darkness...the hope he ever had back when the war started had long since diminished and was replaced with just the daily life of hunting down Autobots. Here, he saw hope amongst the Autobots...a hope he hadn't dared see ever again. In the midst of this hope he began to see just what he had become. He hated himself for it. Even Sunstorm had seemed different amongst the company of the Autobots, and he was always just the silent, religious one. Here, he talked more, seemed more open.

Perhaps...just maybe...there was the light of hope right here, just as Optimus seemed to state.

* * *

_Starscream was making his own way across his home planet, amazed at seeing the beauty that it once was again. It was as he remembered it from so long ago. The beautiful spires of Crystal City loomed in the distance to one side, glittering in the natural light of both his planet and the light of the stars. It made his spark ache again...the peace he desired, the feeling of just wanting to be heard and understood, to not be turned down at every path he tried taking..._

_He clenched his fists and stared out at Iacon City off to the other side, remembering so many things that happened there. He recalled the destruction of that final holdout of the Autobots as they fled the planet in a desperate attempt to save not only their lives, but their race. He remembered how Megatron became increasingly encased in his own ideals of what their society needed to be like. But the more he became obsessed, the more he became like the leaders he so claimed to despise, and even worse. Starscream winced, remembering the times of being beaten within an inch of his life, aways being made an example of out of Megatron, always the laughing stock of the Decepticons. Why Megatron kept him as his Second Starscream would never really figure out. Perhaps it was like the human saying. Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer. Made sense, considering Starscream was often interested in trying to break away from Megatron and lead his own force, or even overtake Megatron's forces. Neither of which never happened. Starscream was, in a sense, Megatron's enemy, and Megatron always found a way to keep his subordinate in check. Most of the time, it was with threats and physical attacks when the Decepticon leader was displeased with something. Starscream was Megatron's punching bag for literally everything. _

_Starscream looked up to the crystal clear night sky, the stars glittering like pinpoint sparks in the distance, as if offering hope and strength. His optics flickered, his expression changing slightly to one of anger. Megatron was dead. Starscream never once had the chance to take him out himself. He never had that chance to prove himself beyond a punching back for someone else's frustrations. He shook his head and began walking again, soft whirs and clinks of metal resounding as he moved, his optics on the ground, watching where he was going, lest he trip on an outcropping of metal and lose his balance._

_"Still dragging your head in the rust like a good subordinate?" _

_Starscream's head jerked up and he looked around for the voice that broke through his thoughts. There, hidden by a large spike that seemed to do its best to reach for the stars above it, two red, glowing orbs hovered by it. A shadow moved, the orbs moving with it. Starscream took a step back, his wingplates shifting into a defensive stance._

_"It can't be...you're dead!"_

_"Is that a threat, Starscream? You think you would know better than to threaten me by now..." The figure said, standing, the dim lights from the distant cities and the stars above casting an eerie pale-blue glow on the metal plates that covered the mech's body. It only added to the ominous figure he had already. Even in the pale light, Starscream was able to confirm his worst fears._

_Megatron._

_Starscream took a step back as the Decepticon Leader stepped forward, his imposing figure doing nothing to quell the Seeker's fears. Megatron laughed, his dark, metallic voice ringing out over the fields of metal spikes and formations. Megatron always knew he could control this weakling, even in this landscape of the mind. No matter where he was, no matter WHAT he was, Starscream was _always _under his control._

_"You can't fight it forever, Starscream. I OWN you. You can't run. You can't hide. You're mine." Megatron said, his voice solid, dark and grating. He took a step with each comment, reasserting his control and making his Second step backwards with each step. He knew exactly how to step on Starscream's wings to keep him from flying far, from getting too out of control. _

_Starscream glared back at the figure in front of him. This couldn't be happening. This place was different. Cybertron was still in it's former glory. Why would Megatron be here like this, right now? He wasn't like this then. Something was off. _

_"You aren't Megatron. You can't be. He's dead!" the Seeker yelled, clenching his fists. He stopped taking steps back, growing defiant. Megatron stopped and stared, his optics glowing brighter. _

_"Oh, I _AM_ Megatron, rest assured...or do I need to prove it to you? Have you forgotten what it's like under my foot?" He asked, stepping forward again, standing as tall as he could, a display of authority that he always used against Starscream. For once, the jet didn't move, his own body holding still, refusing to back down again. If this wasn't Megatron, there was nothing to worry about. But if, just if...it was..._

_"I've not forgotten. But I saw you fall, Megatron. You are not infallable like you think you are."_

_Megatron chuckled darkly at this. _

_"If that's the truth...then why, Starscream...am I here?" He asked slowly, several systems whirring and clicking to life. Starscream recognized the sounds, responding in kind with his own systems powering up. Weapons systems, defensive systems on both sides were powering up. _

_"Because you think you can still control me, and I will have it no longer!" Starscream said defiantly, thrusters firing and pulling him to the air. He was always safer and more manuverable in the air. The sky was his home turf. Megatron laughed and several new systems shifted and appeared, much like the thrusters that Starscream had. _

_"You must forget that I can fly as well, Starscream!" He roared, sounding almost triumphant already. "Now, it's time to end this little charade. You've been a wrench in my side for far too long..." He growled out, both arms twisting and shifting to form twin cannons, firing almost instantly. Blasts of an ugly red-gold flew through the air, glancing off the Seeker's leg and side as he twisted to one side and transformed into the familiar F-22 and took off. Megatron's laughter could be heard across the plains, echoing with a darkness that instilled a strange sense of fear into anyone who would have heard it._

_"You're running again! You know I love the chase, but it's getting a bit old, Starscream! Stop running and just die like the good little 'Bot you are!" He yelled, transforming into his old Cybertronian jet form and blasted after him, afterburners blazing like angry arcs in the sky._

_Starscream refused to stop. There had to be a reason for this. Megatron was dead...but if he was, why would he reappear here? Of all places...He looked around as he flew, noticing something strange going on. The further he flew, the darker, more rusted, and more destroyed things were. It was as if he were flying through time the longer he ran away from Megatron. As he flew, he felt a comforting presence nearby. He swerved, trying to locate the presence. He headed towards Iacon City, one of the places still seeming to stand for the moment. He sensed Megatron behind him and gaining, but he had to find that presence._

_"Slow down so that I might give you a proper burial!" Megatron yelled over external speakers, taunting the seeker in front of him. Starscream had an unusual thought about that idea, thinking it might just work. He dipped down slightly and slammed on his reverse thrusters at the same time, breaking in mid-air. Overhead by mere inches Megatron shot past, having not expected that manuver from his Second. Starscream floored it, thrusters burning hot and bright as he took off after Megatron, seeking a lock and tone. _

_Down below, the presence he had felt was Mikaela, who had paused in her trek to look up, seeing the F-22 and a Cybertronian jet chasing each other around. Her eyes widened as she recognized the flight form of Megatron from the Mission City battle. She saw the manuver that Starscream pulled and her heart lifted, praying that it would work. She could sense that Starscream was also looking for her, and she gently slipped through the bond, trying to not distract him from the arial battle he was in. _

_/Star, I'm okay. Don't get distracted. Is there anything I can do to help?/ She asked, seeing several shots suddenly fire off from him, aimed for the Cybertronian jet before him. One hit, the other two were glancing blows. Megatron transformed mid-air, thrusters still firing as the Decepticon leader took aim with his ion weapon -both arms fused together to form a large cannon- and fired several shots off as Starscream roared past, twisting to the side and blasting auxillary thrusters in Megatron's face as the Seeker turned in a quick manuver. Megatron yelled in pain from the heat of Starscream's thrusters, glaring at the jet as he turned back the way he came and flying low to the ground, zipping around and between the spikes and delicate metal formations that lined the floor of the plain, all the while making sure to stay away from Mikaela. Several of Megatron's blasts were too close for comfort, making the jet nervous. Not ONCE had he ever been able to beat Megatron in any kind of fight. He had always been too powerful._

_/No...stay away, please...I don't need you hurt...or worse./ He replied over the bondlink they shared, worry clouding his voice. /If he can see me, he will definitely see you, and he will have no qualms about using you to get to me. Get to Iacon over there...you will be safe there!/ He said to her, the mental visual of his dimmed spark flickering and giving her the sense of direction she needed to go. Mikaela was loathe to do exactly that._

_/I'm not leaving you behind!/ she yelled, finding an unusual formation that had several holes in it. She crawled into one, trying to keep an eye out for Megatron. Starscream winced mentally at her voice. He felt the determination and strength she carried, and it flowed over into him. He growled softly as he twisted along the plain, sensing Megatron behind him again, having shifted back to his flight form and was gaining. _

_/Mikaela, get the SLAG out of here! His sensors will pick you up if they haven't already!/ He cried out to her, a lance of pain shooting through him as Megatron caught tone and fired, taking out one of Starscream's vertical stabilizers. Sparks flew behind him, marking a trail of light and smoke in the sky. Mikaela gasped, feeling the pain through their bond. She pulled out of the hole she had found and began running for the city, worried all the while for the jet she had come to care for immensely. /Get...get to the Core...under the Council Tower.../ he managed to tell her as he dodged more attacks. /You'll be safe there.../_

_Mikaela sent a wave of acknowledgement and kept running, managing to say one more thing before she allowed herself to slip out of the link. /Don't you dare die on me, Starscream. That's an order./ She said, the last bit being more of a joke than an actual order, made out of worry and concern. Starscream understood her worries, as he felt the same. But with her heading to safety, he could concentrate on the more pressing matter of the second, and that was Megatron bearing down on him with all manner of weapons at his disposal._

_"Oh come now, Starscream, aren't you tired of running? Wouldn't you rather fight? Why prolong the inevitable?" Megatron taunted again, firing off another volley at the jet before him, explosions rocking the ground around the fleeing jet. Starscream ignored him, weaving in and out, formulating something resembling a second by second plan. He pulled upwards quickly, feeling the strain on his wings as he did so. The lack of a vertical stabilizer made flying a bit harder, but at least he still had the other. _

_"Haven't you figured out why I always LIVE, Megatron?" he yelled back, pulling upside down and pulling down around behind Megatron, firing point-blank as he came down, blindly aiming for Megatron. _

_"It's because I am smart and run when I know a battle is futile, unlike YOU!" He answered his own question, firing a volley at Megatron. He heard a shrill yell of pain as one of his shots hit the Decepticon leader, but he couldn't tell where in all the smoke from the ground. Megatron shot out of the dust cloud, one wing on fire. He wobbled slightly before pulling around, his internal systems working quickly to dowse the fire. Starscream took aim again and fired clipping the same wing on the very edge. Megatron went into a spin, wing over wing, headed right for the ground. Starscream allowed himself a slight moment of satisfaction as he watched Megatron skid along the surface, breaking pillars and spikes of metal along the way. He shot over the downed form of his former leader, transforming in mid air, his thrusters holding him up as he held his arm up and aimed at the new cloud of dust on the ground, waiting to get a visual on the downed Decepticon._

_"You've definitely improved, Starscream...I commend you. But it's not good enough." Megatron said, his voice growling out from the dust. From above, all Starscream could see was the flicker of one optic before a sudden blast flew from the dust, barreling right for Starscream. In an instantanious thought, he shut off his thrusters and dropped like a rock, the blast smashing full on into his left wing and blasting it apart. Pain ripped through him as he dully thought how the irony was amusing that it was his left wing...again. He fired his thrusters again, trying to stay in the air. He wouldn't be able to transform now. Megatron had made sure of that. "You will ALWAYS be under my feet, Starscream, that is the way of things!"_

_Starscream growled at that. He was done being Megatron's Second, done being his emotional punching bag, done being the one that always got beaten to be an example. "No, Megatron...that is only your way...It's not how things are going to stay!" He fired several shots off at the now-receding dust, kicking up more dust around where Megatron had crashed into. A loud roar resounded as the Decepticon leader burst up through the dust cover, his own thrusters firing as he headed straight for Starscream. _

_"You forget your place!" Megatron yelled, his optics glowing a hateful, dark red as he raised an arm, panels and parts shifting around, forming one of the twin cannons, firing repeatedly at the jet before him._

_"My place is right here, Megatron! I will back down no more!" He retorted, his own launchers firing, countering the blasts that Megatron had sent off as he flew up towards the Seeker. In a brilliant clash of sparks and shrieking metal, the two of them collided, each of them grappling for the other, trying to establish a killing blow or some sort of choke-hold. _

_Starscream grabbed a center chest panel directly under Megatron's neck and gripped hard, one large metal foot reaching up and kicking the other just below the chest, bending the chest panel outward from the top. The kick itself did some damage too, bending and distorting protective armor, some cables breaking open, energon spilling out. Megatron let out a roar of pain, reaching back with one hand and slamming it full force into Starscream's face, grabbing hold and yanking hard. The pain was nearly unbearable as it shocked through his systems. It felt like Megatron was literally trying to rip his head off. Starscream twisted them around quickly, firing his thrusters hard and fast, aiming for the ground. As they flew down, the seeker grabbed Megatron with one hand by the leader's neck, the other grasping his shoulder. Fingers curled around cableing, wires and armor tightly as he sunk his fingers into the battle-worn armor of the other, pushing him back as far as possible right before the both slammed into the metal of their planet below. _

_Megatron bore the most of the damage in that sudden slam, most of his systems offlining momentarily, including sensors and vision. He howled in pain, reaching out for Starscream, trying to continue the fight. He didn't give up that easily. Starscream had taken heavy damage as well, but his own systems were merely slowed for a few seconds, thanks to Megatron taking the brunt of the force. Starscream rolled away, pain surging through him as he fought to get his repair systems up and running as quickly as possible. Megatron wouldn't be down for very long. Starscream tried to stand, falling over several times before he was able to grab a small pillar of metal nearby for support. Internal alarms were going off, and one alarm he didn't want to know about showed up on his internal visuals._

WARNING: Weapons systems offline.

_Slag. That was the LAST thing he wanted to see come up on his systems damage report._

_In the dust and red-colored rust, Megatron was flailing, trying to stand and recover his sensors and vision. "Slag you, Starscream!" he yelled, his own system reports coming in. Luckily for Starscream, Megatron's weapon systems were offline as well. Megatron's vision began to return and he stood unsteadily, tilting his head from one side to the other...or tried to. Tilting to the right caused an unbelieveable amount of pain, causing him to growl out in frustration. Reaching up, he found a neckplate had been bent inwards by Starscream's latest attempt to disable him. He looked up and stared hard at his Second, who stood supporting himself on a small -by their standards- pillar. _

_Starscream chuckled at Megatron's frustration and attempts to get up._

_"Having a few issues there, Lord Megatron?" the Seeker said, his voice thick with sarcasm. Megatron grabbed a metal formation near him and pushed himself upward to stand on his feet. His optics glared like red embers, bright and on the hunt, ready for the kill. Starscream's own optics met and matched Megatron's, ready for the next bit of the fight. His hands clenched and unclenched, optics never wavering from Megatron._

_"Not as many as you will be here shortly, you slagging piece of scrap metal." Megatron said in a very strangely calm voice. Starscream realized with a start that both of them were trying to fool the other into thinking they had their weapons systems online. But if that were the case, then...wouldn't Megatron have fired already? Starscream grinned slightly. Megatron was always the rush in and blast away kind. Himself, on the other hand, prefered covert, stealth operations. That is generally where he often succeeded and Megatron didn't. So if he didn't have his weapons systems, why wasn't he attacking? Starscream made no facial expressions to his internal thoughts, though he was curious. He realized a moment later Megatron was trying to stall to get his systems back up and running. _

_"It's not like you to not take the next shot, Megatron..." Starscream taunted, letting go of the pillar and beginning to walk in a slow circle around the Decepticon Leader. "Perhaps there is something...wrong?" He smirked, keeping both optics on the other as he circled around Megatron like a hawk preparing for the attack. _

_"It's not like you to not fly away at the first chance, Starscream..." Megatron retorted in kind, Starsceam's circling making him nervous. Nervous...of Starscream? He was never nervous of him. But now...something was different. Starscream seemed much different, more direct and in control of himself. Megatron realized the control he had over Starscream for so long...was breaking down. It was a feeling he really didn't like. Starscream had always thought he was better for the Decepticons, or at least the race of Cybertron in general. Megatron kept his now-online sensors trained on the Seeker, lest he make a move._

_"I told you. Things are different here, now." Starscream said, continuing to walk very slowly around the other. He knew it would be unnerving to anyone, especially Megatron. To be circled like prey when you were normally the predator...it had to be driving him crazy. _

_Megatron let go of the formation and began to face Starscream wherever he went, turning around slowly with the Seeker in front of him. This feeling of being circled and watched was very...distracting. He noticed as Starscream grinned darkly._

_"You don't like it, do you? Don't like being out of control, do you?" Starscream said slowly, his body in a slightly crouched position as he walked, like he was ready to pounce at any moment. Instead, he was waiting for the telltale energy spike that would tell him that Megatron's weapons were online and being charged. Nothing yet, but that could change in an instant._

_"You don't know the meaning of the word control." Megatron replied, growing tired of this little charade. He had no weapons, but hand to hand combat was always just as satisfying as blasting apart another with a cannon...perhaps even better. _

_He didn't quite anticipate Megatron attacking without weapons, but at this point not much surprised him with Megatron. He jumped back, just barely out of the way as the other reached out for him, a large fist barreling towards the Seeker. Starscream stepped foward after the dodge and grabbed his arm, pulling him around and forward into the rust-covered ground with as much force as possible, letting his own center of gravity shift backwards as he let go of Megatron, watching him go flying. In less than a second he was already moving, but towards Megatron, not from him. His own fist aimed for the back of the leader's head, going for a kill shot. _

_Megatron rolled as Starscream's fist glanced off the side of his head, dizzying him for a second as he rolled to his back. He reached up and grabbed Starscream by the neck and squeezed hard, glaring and growling. Starscream flailed, both hands reaching for his neck, feeling the energon tubes being squeezed shut. Without the energon, his processors would begin to fail, and thus his Spark. Megatron chuckled darkly at the sight._

_"No matter what you do, Starscream...you will always end up under me. You don't have the guts or instinct to kill me. Never have." He said, squeezing harder. Starscream pulled back, his own fingers grasping at Megatron's hand. He needed his weapon systems online, and now...or he might not make it out of this. His fingers found a small purchase in Megatron's wrist and dug in hard, pinching wires and cables. He felt the pressure release slightly, but not enough. Megatron laughed._

_"Give it up, Starscream, I can do this all day."_

Weapons systems: 89%. Plasma cannon online. Launchers at 15% availability and increasing. Systems powering on.

_YES! Starscream grinned, not caring if Megatron saw it. He pressed a fist against Megatron's shoulder, willing the armor and parts to shift quickly. His plasma cannon formed, much to the dismay of the Decepticon leader, the barrel glowing a bright blue._

_"Give it up? Gladly." Megatron never said exactly WHAT to give up. _

_A loud whine resounded within the cannon, followed by a sudden burst of blue-white light. A loud scream tore across the metal plain as the blast tore through Megatron's shoulder, melting armor and ripping apart inner workings. Starscream fell backwards, tearing the other's hand off his neck. He stepped back and aimed his cannon again, glaring at the now-wounded Megatron. _

_"Get up!"_

_Megatron glared at Starscream, his neural sensors screaming in pain as he reached over to cover his wound with his other hand. Energon and other fluids spilled from the gaping hole in his shoulder. _

_"How dare you..."_

_"GET UP!"_

_Starscream wasn't going to have this. He wasn't going to be down on Megatron's level and shoot for the kill while the other was down. He had more honor than that. After several thousand years being under this tyrant's rule, he had plenty of time to think about this day, how he would finally take out the great Megatron. He held his plasma cannon steady, aimed right at Megatron's chest, where he knew the spark casing would be, buried underneath all the protective armor. _

_Megatron growled, his red optics flashing angrily as he moved to stand slowly. He still needed repairs to his weapons systems, but now his main cannon, the ion cannon, wasn't going to work. He needed both arms for that. Starscream had finally, in all this time, rendered him without much defense. He had a feeling the Seeker knew that, too. _

_"So, you finally got a good hit off on me, Starscream. I was right in saying you had improved." He said, trying to stall for a few more seconds._

_"I only learned from the best, my _dear_ Megatron," Starscream replied cooly, his plasma cannon not wavering a single centimeter. "You taught me well over the thousands of years...but now...you're right. This ends now."_

_"You wouldn't dare...you're nothing but a coward! You don't have the bearings to do it! You NEED me!" Megatron laughed, still so sure of himself even after all this, grinning at the Seeker before him. But what he saw in the other's optics and composure was something he didn't expect. A very calm and collected Starscream, aiming right for his spark casing. The look sent a wave of worry through him, causing him to scan his weapons systems again._

_"That...is where you are wrong, Megatron. It's always been in me...you've just kept it under check until now. I am sick of being an example. I am sick of being your punching bag when things go wrong." Starscream said quietly, drawing himself up to full height. "I never needed you." he said, the sound of his cannon charging up piercing the air._

_Starscream fired._

_Megatron smirked._

_A single explosion resounded over the plains, reverberating across the surface of Cybertron, the vibrations of the shot dissapating the further out they got. A large, red cloud emerged from the ground, an angry yellow-orange blast seen near the bottom. Dust and rust filled the air, kicked up by the blast. Pieces of metal rained down, soft clinking filling the air as the metal began hitting the ground. The large blast cloud began to lean to one side as a soft breeze picked up, taking the light material with it. A fire burned on the ground near the center of the blast. Neither should have survived the explosion._

_But one did. _

_The figure walked through the flames, though seriously injured. The flames licked at the figure's sides as it limped towards the edge of the blast zone. Sparks flew from it's body, energon leaking from various wounds across it's armor. Red optics glared out from the darkness of the figure's shadow, satisfied in being the sole survivor._

_"I still function..."_

* * *

A/N - I had a ton of fun writing this last bit here, but MAN it did take a while. Yes, another cliffhanger. No, I am not leaving it there. Yes there is another chapter, and yes I am already working on it. *Chuckles* Thanks for sticking with so far, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. 28 is coming!_  
_


	29. Chapter 28: A Spark of Hope

**Author's Note:**

Greetings all, and welcome to the last chapter of Anything for a Friend.

I've had a lot of support from those that have read this story, and for that I thank you all. I've recently come out of surgery and radiation therapy treatments for thyroid cancer, and previous to that I've been through moving, money issues and a lot of other crap. This story fell off the bandwagon for the longest time before I came back and found it sitting in the dirt. I picked it back up, dusted it off, re-read it, and vowed to finish it. And now, just a few chapters later, here it is. The last chapter. Fair warning, it's a longer chapter than the rest I have. With it being the last one, I had to make it as awesome as I could, and it just got a little long in the process. ^^;

(And to be noted, this IS the largest chapter at just over 13K words. O.o)

**Music inspiration:**

"What I've Done", "Iridescent", "New Divide" - Linkin Park; "To the Moon and Back" - Savage Garden; "Iris (Who I am)" - Goo Goo Dolls; "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" - Aerosmith (Armageddon Soundtrack); "Arrival To Earth", "Autobots" - Transformers Score (First Movie); "Bring me to Life" - Evanescence

And now...

**Chapter 28: A Spark of Hope**

_Mikaela ran as fast as she could, away from the fight. She could hear blasts and angry words dwindling down the farther she got. She ran fast and hard, her clothes becoming dusted over with particles of rust. Her face was covered in sweat, attracting the same rust bits to her face, giving her a metallic red-gold look. Her hair flailed behind her as she ran, messier than ever from the countless hours of running, walking, wind, dust, dirt and rust. But she refused to end it here, not when she was so close. _

_The golden-silver buildings around her loomed up high, sparkling gently in the city's lights. The sight was breathtaking, making her want to stop and just stare. All around her, Cybertronians went about in a daily business, not noticing her at all. It looked peaceful yet bustling, some walking, some talking in small groups, others flying by through the air or rumbling past in a vehicle form. Small versions, about her size or even smaller, ran past tossing a light sphere back and forth with a strange looking sort of scoop that flattened out at the end to make a panel. She grinned; it reminded her much of children playing ball games. She shook her head and looked around, trying to figure out the building Starscream had mentioned to her. One very tall building caught her eye; in regular intervals going upward, several statues of Cybertronians stood like pillars around the building. The ground level held four statues, whereas three more levels above held only three each. Each one was different, and seemed to hold up the above section as if they were the pillars themselves. They looked as if they were important._

_She headed for the building, figuring this was the right one. She ducked inside the enormous doorway, looking around. Several more doorways loomed in front of her, and she sighed. How was she to know which way to go? She closed her eyes, standing straight, focusing. In her mind, the image of Starscream's spark appeared yet again. It seemed a bit brighter now, which made her smile. She focused more, sending a soft question through. Almost immediately the light before her pulsed softly and she felt a strange tug towards her right. She opened her eyes and went for the door on her right, hoping this was it. She had learned to trust her instincts since the Mission City battle, and she'd be damned if she stopped listening to them now._

_She found herself following a large tunnel downward, the slope slowly increasing as she went. To her surprise, after a few feet into the tunnel she felt a shift and a soft jerk as the floor began to move, carrying her forward even faster. The tunnel had lights at regular intervals, casting a soft blue glow on the interior of the metal shaft. She continued downward despite the increased speed, stumbling once over her own foot due to running too fast. She cursed quietly, regaining her composure and continuing on. Her breath was taken away, however, when the shaft opened up into a very, very large central chamber. It was absolutely huge. She stopped running, noticing that the only thing keeping her in the air was the ramp she was currently on. Oh, there were hand rails, but they were of no use to her, being so far up. _

_In the center of the large cavern sat a very large, glowing ball of light. Sparks and bolts of electricity surrounded it, many of the sparks snaking their way up long poles into the underside of the surface, powering everything. It was truly a sight to behold, making her stare in pure awe. _

_"It's beautiful..." she whispered to herself, reminded suddenly of Starscream's spark. It looked almost like it, only on a much larger scale. She had to chuckle softly as the ramp took her closer. She began to hear soft pings of what sounded like musical notes, each one different, reminding her of whale song. The more she watched, the more she realized the pings were on time with each bolt of electricity that shot it's way to the surface. It was amazing to see and hear. _

_Soft voices began to stir as the human girl grew closer to the center of Cybertron. Each one individual, and yet they all spoke as one, whispering. The ramp she was on slowed down, reaching the core finally. Mikaela could hear the soft voices, surrounded by the light pings of sound that resounded through the chamber in lazy intervals._

_"You...are not of Cybertron...what do you seek?" the voices all spoke as one, seeming to create a single voice, soft and gentle like a cool breeze on a warm day. Mikaela stood still on the now-stopped ramp, staring up at the gigantic ball of electricity._

_"I...I seek help..." she said, her voice catching at first. She was nervous, not sure what to expect from such a thing before her. She felt much the way she did the first time she laid eyes on Bumblebee and then Optimus...like a tiny mouse that needed to stay still or be noticed. She, back then, fought the urge to run and grab Sam by the hand to drag her with. Being confronted by a giant robot was unnerving enough. Being attacked by one was even worse. Now, in front of what she figured actually _powered _their home planet...it was even more intimidating._

_"Help...?" The voices asked, as if curious why a small fleshling would seek help from Cybertron. Mikaela nodded, glancing around for a second, then back to the ball of light._

_"Help...for Starscream." She said, licking her bottom lip and biting it briefly, shifting her weight slightly as she stood there. "He was injured severely in a recent battle. I've come on behalf of him...to ask to restore his...his spark." She managed to say, feeling very small and rather silly. But deep down, to her, it wasn't silly at all. If anything could be done to restore him completely, she would do it. _

_"The Decepticon?" The voices mused, intrigued by the human's request. Never before had someone done something like this. Perhaps there was a reason?_

_"Why?"_

_Mikaela flushed brightly and looked down at the floor of the ramp. It was a mesh ramp, the metal wires linking together to form intricate patterns, all symmetrical. Stars, squares, diamonds, octagons, all sorts of shapes. In some places they seemed to overlap each other. She found herself biting her lip again, finally deciding to just go with the simple and honest truth._

_"He's...we're bonded." She said, looking up at the flickering ball of light, watching the electricity resound and wind its way to the surface. The voices quieted at her answer. The silence made her very nervous the longer it went on. She shifted again, biting her lip as she waited. Longer and longer the voices stayed quiet, and she wondered if they would speak to her again...wondered if she had said the wrong thing. She mentally berated herself. Saying the truth wasn't the wrong thing, even if it was unexpected. She sighed and looked down, the back up._

_"I have a bond with him because I helped him. I repaired him with Ratchet's help. I helped him recover, I talked with him about the war." She stated, not beating around the bush. She stared at the glowing orb in front of her as she spoke. "He decided to join us. He was shot down later by another Decepticon because he no longer believed in the war and was trying to defend us. I covered the hole in his Spark chamber with my bare hands when that happened..." She explained, still unable to believe it herself at times. "His spark burned me.." she said softly after a moment, glancing down at her arms, noticing the burn marks were still there. In a way, they looked beautiful, spiraling and waving their way up her arms. "I didn't care, though. I only thought about saving his life. I didn't know what was happening or going to happen. I just wanted to save him." She said, shrugging softly as she looked back up at the large sparkling ball in front of her. The voices stayed silent a moment more, then the whispers started again, forming the unisoned voice again._

_"You are brave, for such a small, carbon-based life form. The Decepticons are ruthless...yet you befriend one...and bond to him. The Bonding should not have happened, considering your physiology, young one." They said, explaining that the case between her and Starscream was a very, very unique situation._

_"I know...I don't even know how it happened." Mikaela replied, glancing down and then back up. She was still nervous, and mostly because she was afraid that she wouldn't get the help she needed for him. _

_"The bond can be reversed, if you wish it?" The voices asked, earning a horrified stare from Mikaela._

_"No!" She gasped out, backing up a step, her hands going to her chest above her heart. "Don't sever it. I don't want that." She said, her heart racing now. The voices grew dim, but were still there. They were shocked at her answer, and moreso at her physical reaction. Finally they spoke again._

_"You care for him?"_

_"Yes." Her answer was immediate and decisive, no hesitation at all. The voices dimmed a bit again, as if contemplating. Contemplating or not, Mikaela would find a way no matter what to help Starscream. Through the bond they shared, she thought she could sense the battle occurring. But in this dream-state, the results were a bit muddled. She could speak with him, but the feelings were faded. It was like trying to shine a light through fog to find someone, but only hearing their voice in the distance. _

_It was another few moments before the voices spoke clearly again, whispers amongst the soft pings of sound with each crackle of electricity that left it._

_"We will grant your request. Use the power gifted to you wisely. You may very well be a key in ending the war that nearly destroyed their home...and Myself." The voices melded together as they spoke, creating one solid, single voice. It sounded neither male nor female at all, but a strange mixture of the two, if that were possible. The light before her grew brighter, a tendril of electricity reaching out and touching her._

* * *

Mikaela gasped loudly, her entire body encased in a light field of crackling electricity, small tendrils waving their way across her body from her chest. Her gasp was enough to wake up Sam, who was snoozing in the chair next to her. He glanced to her, thinking she was awake, and he stood and backed up suddenly, knocking over the chair as he tripped over it.

"HOLYSHIT!" He screamed, nearly falling over as he grabbed the fallen chair for support. Ratchet and Optimus whirled, both of their optics widening in shock at the sight before them. Ratchet immediately began running scans on her, confused by the strange energy signals coming from her. Optimus ran his own scans, confused as well.

"What..what the hell is happening to her!" Sam cried, staring at her as she laid there unconscious still, covered in now-fading sparks of electricity. Ratchet shook his head.

"I have no idea, Sam. This is unprecedented." He said, his voice filled with amazement. It was pointless to say he had never seen this before, considering they had only recently encountered the human race. Anything was possible at this point.

Mikaela felt consciousness coming back to her as she felt the dream-world fade to pure white with the electricity that had touched her. Her eyes flickered slowly, a soft groan coming from her. Her vision wavered as she began to open her eyes. The first thing she saw was Optimus looking down over her, concern written all over his metallic features.

"She is awake!" The Autobot leader exclaimed, relief filling his voice. He leaned back to let Ratchet see her more closely as the sound of shuffling feet and scrambling could be heard to her right. She turned her head slowly, her eyes still only half-open. She blinked as she saw a smaller figure rushing up to her, her eyes clearing enough to see who it was.

"S-Sam...?" She asked, her voice catching from two days of not speaking at all. He paused right before her, watching her body shimmer still with light. He nodded to her.

"Yeah...about time you woke up." He said jokingly, trying to relieve the tension in the air. The smile on his face helped, making her smile weakly in return.

"Sorry...I guess I was tired..." She joked back, her head turning to look up at Ratchet. The lime-green Autobot hovered over her, running scans and tests. She could hear the whirring and clicking of his processors as he ran those scans. "Is something-" She paused, the clicks and whirrs making her think of something else.

Someone else.

She sat straight up, looking around, her eyes resting on Starscream, who was laying not too far away. At Ratchet, Optimus and Sam's protesting, she slid off the bed she was on and took a step, wobbling at first. Her hands shot out and grabbed the bed for support, her head spinning.

"Lie down, Mikaela!" Ratchet ordered, pushing a protesting Sam away. Mikaela still had the occasional sizzle of electricity washing over her, and he didn't want Sam to get hurt. He glared at Sam, who took the hint and only backed up by a foot or so.

"No. I have to get to him, Ratchet." She said, looking pointedly up at him. "Either help me or get out of my way." She growled, standing straight again. She glanced at her arm, seeing it tethered to an IV that the doctors had placed in her arm the day she fell unconscious. She peeled the tape off and held the tube with her hand, closing her eyes as she pulled it out quickly along the direction it had been pulled in, blood seeping out of the hole it left behind. The three watching tried to get her to stop again, but she ignored it and held her hand over the small spot of blood, putting pressure on it as she again started for Starscream, determined to bring him back completely.

Ratchet stared helplessly at her, knowing she was determined. He looked at Optimus, who shook his head. _::Let her do this, Ratchet.::_ He sent to the medic, who nodded reluctantly. All three of them stared after her as she made her way slowly to Starscream, reaching his arm and grasping for it. She slowly climbed up onto his arm and made her way up it, and towards his chest. She fought back a wave of sudden tears as she looked down at him, his optics offline, his armor seemingly dimmed. She kneeled down on his chest armor, reaching down between the panels of armor gently, pulling at the plating. Surprisingly it was easy to move aside, the plating moving gently toward her as she moved to reach further in. Having repaired his spark casing before, she knew exactly what to look for.

And there it was. The thick, silverish casing was there, glinting dimly in the lights of the hangar. The small slit of a window in the casing allowed medics to run diagnostics, but this time, it allowed her to see just how his spark was doing. Though it glimmered, it wasn't quite as bright as she remembered it. She closed her eyes, remembering what the ball of light in the center of Cybertron had said. _"Use the power gifted to you wisely..."_ Her eyes opened again, and she reached down, her fingers brushing that slight window into his soul.

Bumblebee, Ironhide and Skywarp entered the room as Mikaela bent down to touch the casing. The three of them had been outside talking, trying to smooth things out a little more. It was rather touch and go, but it was finally decided that Skywarp join the effort to end the war. Ironhide had done more pacing than anything, flicking his cannons in and out while poor Bumblebee had tried to calm him down while playing mediator with his radio and half-fixed vocal servos. Simmons had been off a bit away out beyond the perimeter, playing a game of golf with a coffee cup, a ragged golf ball and a piece of pipe he found. He hadn't winning very well, and occasionally colorful curses could be heard. He was still out there yelling at the ball, unaware of what was going on inside. Sunstorm, on the other hand, was out on flight tests, and didn't intend on coming back in any time soon until he was satisfied he had recovered fully.

All three of them halted as they saw Mikaela up and on Starscream's chest. Skywarp's wing panels shifted slightly upwards, giving away his hopefulness. Optimus looked back to the newcomers, raising a finger to his metal lips, signaling silence. Mikaela would need all the concentration she could possibly get.

Truth was, she wasn't focused on anything except Starscream's spark. As her fingers brushed the casing, she felt a soft tingle run through her fingertips. She gasped softly, watching a few sparks fly from her fingers to the casing. Deep down, she had a gut feeling she had to actually reach further in. Once again, she followed that feeling. Her fingers slipped between the crack in his casing, reaching for his spark itself.

"Come on, Star...I know you are there..." She said softly, staring down at the soft light dancing between her fingers. She felt a strange sensation well up in her stomach and push up through her chest and down her arm. She stifled a soft cry, the feeling of electricity surrounding her arm as it moved down, collecting in her hand. She closed her eyes, focusing on what she wanted to do. Revive his spark completely. Revive him. Bring him back to life. The words of a song drifted through her mind suddenly as she thought those words.

_(Wake me up)_

_Wake me up inside_

_(I can't wake up)_

_Wake me up inside_

_(Save me)_

_call my name and save me from the dark_

_(Wake me up)_

_bid my blood to run_

_(I can't wake up)_

_before I come undone_

_(Save me)_

_save me from the nothing I've become..._

_(Bring me to life...)_

With those words drifting through her mind, she _pushed _mentally, willing the energy inside of her outward through her body, down her arm and through her fingers. She opened her eyes at the same instant and watched as a sudden bolt of energy shot from her fingers and into the spark that she had grown to know so well. It pulsed suddenly, glowing brighter and stronger. She didn't stop the energy from flowing. She had a gift now, and it was hers to pass on to Starscream. The gift of the Cybertronian home planet. Tendrils of blue-white energy snaked their way across Starscream's entire body, licking his systems and causing them to sputter to life.

All five mechs in the room stared in silence and shock. Optimus was without any words to even think of saying. How had she gained this energy? Why was she able to carry it without being killed? The amount of power it took to restore a spark like that was incredible. Only the Allspark or Primus Himself could do that. He caught himself in that thought. The Allspark was gone, save for a tiny shard that he kept hidden. Could it be possible that she found...? He stared at her as she worked, electricity snaking over both of them now, though gently. It couldn't be possible. Though, with her, anything could be possible. He made a mental note to ask her later about all this.

Everyone watched with anticipation, nervousness and hope as Mikaela worked. She was focused, determined, and refused to let him go after all that they had been through.

"Star...wake up..." she whispered softly, sending a final jolt of power through her fingers, the last of what she could feel within her. Starscream's entire frame shuddered under her with that last jolt, startling her. She removed her hand and sat back, allowing the plating she had moved to slide back into place. She stared up at his face, watching for those familiar red optics. One by one, she heard systems within him powering up to full power, soft whirrs and clicks chasing away the silence of near-death. The sounds of his systems brought her a smile, her heart racing anxiously.

* * *

The world around him, the pain he felt from the last battle with Megatron, the metal, the rust...it all faded to a soft blue-white suddenly, pulling him away from the pain and hurt. A soft voice was calling to him. He recognized it and mentally reached out for it. He felt stronger the further he went along this lighted path.

_Light?_

Fear suddenly gripped him. He didn't want to go down this path. He didn't want to rejoin Primus just yet. He had so much to do still...

_"Star...wake up..." _the soft voice whispered again. Wake up? He was dreaming? Mikaela? He grasped for her voice, feeling a sudden surge of power run through him. The light faded and he began to really feel around him. Sensors suddenly clicked on, running automatic system scans and surrounding scans. His optics began to flicker, his vision pixelating for a moment before it finally cleared. He was staring at the ceiling of the base. He waited for the systems reports to come in, most of which came back with positive results, before trying to move. First a finger, then his arms as he tried tentatively to sit up. He felt something grasp at his chest armor and he glanced down, his optics meeting with the most wonderful sight he had seen in...well, who knows how long he was out.

"Mikaela..." his voice crackled a bit as he spoke her name, watching as she clung to him for support as he moved.

Her eyes watered as she nodded and grasped his chest armor, keeping herself steady. She couldn't talk. The sight that greeted her was not the red optics she was expecting, but a pair of striking, brilliant blue optics. They didn't flicker back to red as they used to. No, this time they were solid. She couldn't bear to take her eyes from him. He was safe again.

_Thankyou...whoever you are..._

Her thoughts reached across the distance of space to a nearly-dead planet. A faint glowing light within the deepest reaches of the wavering planet flickered in response.

_You...are welcome..._

Starscream looked over at the others standing in the doorway and near Mikaela's bed, noting everyone was standing in pure shock and amazement. The silence of the amazement was broken by Optimus, uttering a soft phrase.

"Thank Primus..." he whispered, stepping forward. "Are you alright?" He ran his own scans over both Starscream and Mikaela. While his weren't as detailed as Ratchet's, he was able to get some basic information right away, and that's all he wanted. Mikaela seemed to be drained of the energy she had been carrying, and Starscream appeared to be operating at peak efficiency. Starscream nodded in response to the leader's question.

"Yes...I believe so." He replied, running his own scans. Mikaela gently slid off of him, allowing him the chance to sit up and eventually stand without having to worry about making her fall. She stood back a few feet as the Seeker began to shift his weight, sitting up at first. Metal creaked against metal as he finally found his footing, Optimus helping him up.

"Ratchet did an excellent job on your repairs," Optimus said, motioning to the medic. "We're glad you made it back...both of you." He added, noting Mikaela down between their feet. Starscream didn't hear him right away, though. His gaze caught that of Skywarp, and they were both staring at each other in silence. After a second, Optimus noticed this, glancing between the two of them.

"I think you two have some things to work out, Starscream." He said, lowering his voice to a point where only the Seeker and Mikaela heard him. Starscream only nodded, still staring at the other jet. Optimus turned around and waved pointedly at Ratchet, Bumblebee and Ironhide, shooing them out the door. Sam followed, understanding the situation, having something of his own to speak with Bee about anyway.

When the rest had left, Mikaela glanced up to Starscream.

"Do you...do you want me to stay...?" She asked, wondering if she should give them time alone or not. Starscream looked down at her, then up at Skywarp, who gave a single nod.

"Stay." He replied, not looking away from Skywarp. This was quite possibly going to be rather difficult to get through. Starscream stayed still, waiting to see what the other would do. It didn't take long.

"Starscream, I-"

"I forgive you."

Silence stilled both of them, neither having expected that response. Even Mikaela glanced up at Starscream with mild surprise. After all the time of knowing him to this point, she didn't realize just how much she and the Autobots had changed him. Or was it something else? Skywarp stared in shock at his friend and Wing Commander.

"You...you do?"

The more Starscream thought about it, the more his response seemed right. The war couldn't end unless there was some forgiving going on. Talks needed to happen, not hatred and anger. He had lived with that for far too long, living in Megatron's shadow. The only way to start that, was to start forgiving each other. While it was still completely new and foreign to him, Starscream made the effort. He remembered Mikaela's words to him the day she sat on his shoulder inspecting his damaged wingplate. It started with him. That single waterdrop in the pool. He finally nodded at the other Seeker, confirming what he said.

"Yes."

Skywarp was dumbfounded. Never had he seen this kind of attitude from Starscream. He opened his mouth to say something more, but the other raised his hand.

"I know what you're thinking. No, I haven't gone soft. Just...a change of Spark." He said, his now-blue optics glimmering softly. "When is it time, Skywarp? When is it time to end the fighting and work towards creating what we originally fought for? All we have done is fight, fight and fight. Nothing has been accomplished in the years upon years of fighting. For years we've followed Megatron. Have you not noticed how our methods have changed? Our ways? Our beliefs? Nothing is the same anymore. The fight isn't about what we used to believe in. It's only about killing each other. The Autobots..." he waved a hand around the room, indicating those that had left, "they still remember what the war was about. They fight for their lives, they fight for their survival. And against what? Us, the Decepticons, who would sooner rip one apart than try to come together to figure out what happened so long ago. Or even try to figure out what has changed over time. Our war is not what it once was, Skywarp. It's no longer what it was about. I've learned that since being here with them." He said, taking a step towards his wingmate as he spoke.

Mikaela couldn't be grinning more. She had hoped to hear those words from him one day. And here he was, speaking as if Prime himself had written the speech and given it to him. Oh, if only Optimus could hear this. Her heart swelled with pride as she watched Starscream continue.

"These Autobots...they repaired me when I was down. They could have left me for dead. But they didn't. Ratchet and Mikaela here...they repaired me when I fell into stasis due to various injuries. Do you know what Prime said to me when I asked why they didn't leave me for dead?" He asked Skywarp, standing to his full height. The other Seeker stared at Starscream, shaking his head.

"No..."

Starscream nodded and recovered the memory file of that night, bringing it forth and readying his vocalizers for the repeat of the message, preparing to speak in Prime's voice for maximum effect.

"He said to me, '"Starscream. We cannot change the past, but we can make efforts to change the future. This war has lasted long enough. There is very few of us left. War has driven us from our home planet. When do we start making the repairs to damage done over a millennia ago?"' He said, his vocalizers changing pitch and tone to match that of Optimus. Mikaela covered her mouth and suppressed a giggle; it was very interesting and amusing to hear Prime's voice coming from Starscream. Even though the topic was serious, the moment was funny. Starscream's vocalizers returned to normal after the quote.

"And he was right. All this time we thought we were fighting for Cybertron. In the end...we were only fighting ourselves and what we had become." He finished softly, still staring at his wingmate. After a moment he turned around, his optics resting on the form of Thundercracker. His spark wrenched at the sight, and he made a mental vow right then and there that he would do whatever it took to end the war. It was sad, though, that it took all this time for him to see it.

"All the death...all the fighting. I'm done, Sky." His intakes whirred softly as he sighed, his wingplates shifting downward a bit. Skywarp had listened quietly through the whole thing, taking in the emotion and truth behind each and every word. He realized with a start that Starscream was serious.

"You...you really mean it, don't you?" Skywarp asked hesitantly. Starscream nodded, turning back around to face the other, soft sounds of metal clinking together and servos working as he did.

"Yes. I am serious. Megatron is dead. There are others who feel as he did, and they will be the last we have to fight against. But many others...they are sick of it just as much as everyone else." He paused, drawing himself up to full height and staring at Skywarp.

"I was Megatron's Second in Command. With his death, I've become the Leader of the Decepticons." He started, amused that he actually got to speak those lines. But the circumstances were different than what he had imagined. "However...I do not lead to a decisive victory over the Autobots. I do not lead to a time of Decepticon Rule. I lead to a time of when both sides can work together." He said, a part of him unsure that it was even possible with the way some felt. But with those he had spoken to over time, even some of them were tired of the fighting, but went on with it due to fear of Megatron offlining them for good. "It's not going to be easy, Sky. I...I'm going to need help." He said, watching the other, staring pointedly at him.

Skywarp stared back, a sluggish realization of what Starscream was saying. Or rather, _asking_. He took a half of a step back, optics going wide.

"Are you..asking me to be...?" He choked out, confused and stunned.

"My Second, Skywarp. You know me better than anyone else in the Decepticon Army, aside from Thundercracker..." He said quietly, his voice lowering a bit at the mention of their late friend and wingmate. "You are a perfect choice."

Skywarp was stunned and speechless for a moment as he processed the information. His processors clicked and hummed softly for a moment as he stared at the new Decepticon Leader in front of him. Just then, the memories of chasing each other around Cybertron all that time ago, having fun, racing...that moment made up his mind and he stood straight, saluting Starscream.

"I remember the times long ago when we were carefree and didn't have these worries. I want those times back. I will be your Second." He said, accepting the post offered to him. Starscream relaxed visibly and he sighed quietly.

"Thankyou." Starscream replied, stepping forward and reaching a clawed, metal hand out for the other. Skywarp responded with his own thin, metal hand, grasping it. The act sealed the promotion, as well as their determination.

Starscream looked back, seeing Mikaela standing there with a huge grin on her face. His own metal features formed a grin of their own, though it was harder to see with how the metal surrounded his face. Perhaps, just perhaps...things would get better after all.

* * *

It was a few hours later when things seemed to return to normal around the base. Ironhide worked on weapons systems for everyone, Bumblebee was out speaking with Sam still. They had taken off on a long drive, Sam having had some things to talk about to his car. Skywarp was conversing with Sunstorm on the mountain above the base. Prime and Ratchet were speaking about the repairs to everyone, the issue with Starscream and Mikaela and the electricity, and Simmons was still fighting with his coffee cup, ball and metal pipe. Determined as he was, he still couldn't get the ball to cooperate. In the distance, he could be seen kicking the ball around and threatening it. It made for an amusing sight to someone farther away.

Starscream and Mikaela were where they could be most alone: in the sky. It had been a very stressful time for them both, and now was the perfect time to relax before anything else happened. Mikaela sat in the cockpit, feeling herself returning to a peaceful state where she could do what she wanted. She reached out, her fingers trailing slowly over the display screen in front of her. She felt a shudder make its way through the frame of the jet, making her grin.

"Do that too much, I might lose navigational control." Came Starscream's voice, a soft chuckle rumbling through him after the fact. Mikaela laughed.

"I figure I have a right to, after everything that has happened." She stated matter-of-factly, letting her fingers slide along the seam between the glass above her and the metal it connected to. She grinned more when she heard a soft growl come from within the plane.

"Don't make me land." He warned, as if trying to make a threat. It didn't work.

"What if I want that?" She asked, suppressing a giggle. Starscream had no answer for that, and it made her grin again.

"No answer?" She asked, sliding her hands along that seam again even slower, testing his willpower.

"Mikaela..." his voice gasped quietly. They lost a bit of altitude as he lost his senses for a moment. Mikaela grabbed the sides of her chair, holding on as they dipped down slightly. Laughter exploded from her, loving how she could make him falter so much.

"Sorry..." She said, the laughter dying down a bit. A low grumble escaped him as he turned, heading for the edge of the atmosphere. Mikaela didn't know where they were headed personally, or what he was planning, she only cared that she was away from everyone else and with Starscream.

But there was something else on the jet's mind as well. Something he didn't want to think about, something he didn't want to do. Not so soon after all this happened. But he had to speak with her about it, or she would never forgive him.

"Mikaela...?"

Brown hair shifted around her face as she tilted her head slightly at the display screen. "Hmm?" she hummed in reply, curious of the change in tone. The Seeker paused a moment, still trying to figure out how to explain it all. _May as well speak the truth, and not fire around corners_, he thought to himself.

"With my new duties...I will have to leave this planet for a short time. A few months in your earth time." He said quietly. Mikaela stared at the screen, her heart wrenching hard. So soon after? Already? She felt fear running up through her heart.

"I...I see..." She said, unable to hide the worry and disappointment in her voice. The jet picked up on her emotions both through her voice and the bond they shared.

"I am not leaving you, Mikaela." He stated, his voice firm and determined. He would not leave her. Not after everything they had gone through. If anything, having her with him gave him the strength to do what he was going to do. Face the armies of the Decepticon faction and try to talk them into peace. Try to talk them into rebuilding instead of continuing to fight. She gave him the courage he needed to press on.

"You better not. I'll have Optimus hunt you down." She said, a half-hearted chuckle coming from her. She knew he meant no harm, and that he needed to leave to try to gain support. She couldn't fault him for that. She sighed, her fingers brushing the control panel under the display screen. "Just don't be gone too long..." she added, saying with those few words that she understood why he needed to go.

"I don't intend to be gone for too long." He said, letting her feel through the bond a wave of emotion that matched no other. An emotion he had no words for, but they both felt it. A few tears welled up in Mikaela's eyes, blurring her vision as she felt what he sent, intensified by her own similar feelings. She tried sighing again, her breath coming out ragged as she tried not to burst into tears completely.

The blue sky faded to a darker blue, finally fading away to black, the stars hovering in the darkness like diamonds caught in the light of the sun. Mikaela became aware of where they were, glancing out the window again. There, the sun began to peek out over the surface of the Earth again, reminding her of the first time that they had come up here. She leaned back against the seat again, relaxing and feeling at peace.

"You can't even tell from up here that there ever has been any kind of war..." She said softly. She felt Starscream shut off his engines and they drifted there in space, in a lazy orbit above the Earth. She didn't mind, though. It was calm up here, and she trusted him to keep her safe in this cold space above her planet.

"You are lucky to have such a beautiful planet, Mikaela. Your race is lucky in many respects." Starscream said quietly, his own scans giving him a similar visual effect that she was seeing. It was absolutely beautiful. The sun rising over her planet...the dawn meant more to him than he had initially realized. It was the beginning of a new day for her planet in some places. For him, it was the beginning of a new age for his race. How fitting it was, then, that the sun be rising over the planet where it all started.

They stayed in that lazy orbit for a while, not saying a word at all. The beauty of the earth and sun and stars further in the distance was too much for words. Mikaela ran a comforting hand across the side of the seat she sat on, knowing he could feel it. It wasn't meant as a tease, merely comfort. She knew what he was going to be getting into. She knew it meant danger, and she knew that their bond was in danger because of that. But for him, for his race, she was willing to go through it with him completely. She smiled softly, thinking over the last couple weeks. It was amazing how much everyone had gone through. It was more amazing thinking where she was now. Here, above the earth, with the Decepticon Starscream...and with him in more than one way. She had let herself be won over by someone she didn't expect. Someone she saw good in, and helped him find it. Someone who fell for her inadvertently as she had for him. Love had a strange way of working when it wanted to. This case was certainly no different. She grinned to herself at the thought.

_Love. _

_Sam was right. I do love him._

She felt a wave of relief wash over her as she thought that, as if something had broken inside of her finally, allowing her to fully accept the situation she was in. It had it's dangerous points, but she was willing to stand by his side each step of the way. She smiled softly, opening her mouth to speak something long-needed to be said.

"Star, I-"

"-love you..."

There was a moment of silence before laughter erupted from both of them. They had both been thinking something similar and had spoken at the exact same time, saying the same thing to each other. It was yet another piece of evidence of how well their bond was working. She couldn't help the smile on her face as she could feel what he was feeling. It was like soft tendrils of warm liquid spiraling around her heart, keeping it safe.

"Well, now that that's cleared up..." She said, chuckling. Starscream let out another small laugh at her comment, his engines firing up.

"Now that that's cleared up, I have somewhere to take you." He said, not saying another word as he engaged his afterburners, shooting for the atmosphere. She tried questioning him, but he didn't answer, wanting it to be a surprise. She eventually gave up, watching the air begin to burn around them as his outer plating began to heat up from the friction. She could almost sense how it felt to him, like a heater on cold feet after playing in the snow for too long. To him, it felt warm, but not to incredibly hot. It was amazing how his species could handle heat. She remembered how cold had an adverse effect, however. It was just a few short moments that the atmosphere burned around them before it cleared, letting them into clear blue skies. He turned and increased speed, racing the light as it faded from the ground below them.

Flying with him or hovering in an orbit above the earth, either way felt like she had something special that no one could ever even imagine. There was no way she'd ever give this up now.

She began to recognize a few landscapes, first noticing the base as they flew past it. She could see several of the others on the ground, all of them looking up as they flew past. Optimus raised his hand and waved, but they were gone before she had a chance to wave back. Mikaela looked forward, recognizing where they were going. Her cheeks flushed red as the roar of his engines began to lessen as he began a descent trajectory. He flew in a wide arc around a mass of trees on the other side of the mountain, lowering the both of them to the ground and finally touching down in a field just outside the trees. He rolled to a stop, the hatch popping open to let her climb out.

The dark skies had caught up with them, the sunlight faded from their part of the earth for now. The stars flickered in the sky, like the same diamonds from before, only turning in the sunlight instead of staying still. Mikaela jumped off of Starscream's wing, the familiar sound of him transforming making her closer her eyes, a strange tingling surging through her. It was strange to feel this way, even now. But at least she could express it properly now. She turned back around to see him at his full height, the starlight glittering off of his armor. His blue optics made her melt; seeing him with that color gave her so much hope for the future.

He leaned down, offering his hand to her as she climbed up, clinging to a finger for support as he walked through the trees to the small clearing that they had landed at before during the first fight he had gotten shot in. She smiled, remembering that night. She glanced back up at him, unable to help herself as he came to a stop and knelt down again, keeping her steady. The sight of how he moved, each part working in harmony with everything else...it was an amazing sight. Not much unlike our own bodies, she mused to herself mentally. It was true. While her race couldn't transform into other things, their bodies still worked in a similar fashion. Each part of their body worked in harmony with another piece, as a whole working like a biological machine. Which, in turn, was what his race was, in many ways. DNA based, but metal and a different life source. She watched him as he sat down with a dull thud on the ground, leaning back against several trees for support. The wood of the trees creaked, a couple branches breaking, but ultimately they held his weight. The soft sound of servos working pierced the air as he brought her up to his face, his brilliant blue optics blinking as he looked at her.

She stood on his hand, not saying a word as she reached out, her fingers brushing the intricate plating on his face. He brought her closer, enthralled by her touch as it seemed to send sparks through his entire frame. His optics dimmed slightly as her fingers moved slowly across a battle scar he had gotten previously. It was a bit more sensitive than the rest of his scars, as it was a fresher wound, received in the Mission City battle. She realized that he had a lot of scrapes, scratches, dings and gouges all throughout his armor, each one telling it's own story from his past. She leaned forward, her soft lips pressing against the damaged plating, earning a soft rumble from deep within the jet. She smiled gently as she pulled back, looking at him. His optics flickered a moment, then strengthened as he realized she had pulled away. Looking into those optics was like staring into his own spark, brilliant and beautiful...

_His Spark..._

A sudden thought crossed her mind, a thought that made her heart beat wildly. A sudden rush of adrenaline burst through her as she licked her dry lips. He stared at her, sensing the sudden changes within her.

"Are you alright, Mikaela...?" He asked quietly, worried she was going into some kind of panic attack. He was relieved when he saw her smile.

"Yes, I am fine." she said, a hand unconsciously moving to her other arm, fingers trailing the fading brown burn marks from the first time that she had reached out for his Spark. But now... "I want to...try something." She said softly, leaning in and planting a soft, gentle kiss on the metal of his face. She grasped at the plating along his neck and shoulders, climbing off of his hand and slowly working her way down. Starscream moved his hand to follow her, worried she was going to fall. His worry changed quickly when he realized what she wanted to do.

"Mikaela...you were burned last time..." he said in a low voice, the feeling of her sliding across his armor making him feel as if she were setting him on fire internally. She nodded gently, but kept going.

"A few have told me I wouldn't have even survived if something hadn't been going on previously..." she said, her fingers sliding along the edge of the panel she had moved before while in the hangar when she restored his spark. "I fixed your Spark chamber...then I saved your life, keeping your Spark in the casing." she said, feeling confident in what she was going to do. "Then...then I restored it with the energy given to me..." she finished, looking up into those beautiful blue optics. "Trust me...?" she asked simply, begging for him to let her try. He was worried for her, not wanting her to get hurt by the energy source that kept him alive, the source of his being, his soul. He could only imagine what it would feel like to have her hands that close to him. He finally nodded silently, his own systems beginning to shift in anticipation of what was about to happen. Neither of them would really know what would happen to her or him until it did happen.

She smiled up at him, biting her lip as she looked back down, sliding her fingers along that panel again, pulling at it gently. Both panels on either side slid away, giving her the access she needed. Beneath, she could see that small window in his casing, his spark flashing brilliantly behind it. Her heart raced as she shifted to slip between those two panels a bit, allowing her to reach further in towards the Spark chamber. She felt her fingers brush against the warm metal casing, hearing him gasp sharply. She felt his entire frame shake slightly, and she raised an eyebrow. She glanced upwards, trying to see his face to make sure she hadn't hurt him. His optics were offline, and he seemed relaxed, not hurt. That made her relax and smile, returning her attention to the core of his being again.

Her touch was amazing. For a tiny human, she was drawing some big reactions out of him. She hadn't even reached his spark yet and she was already making his entire framework and internals feel on fire. He had offlined his optics, allowing him to concentrate more on what she was doing, rather than seeing everything around him as well. It seemed to distract him from the wonders she was committing on him. He wondered if she could feel what she was doing to him at all. He mentally reached out across their bond, finding she wasn't using it yet. He pushed through, his mind touching hers gently, pulling her closer to him than ever before.

She gasped softly as she felt his presence within her again, flooding her mind with the emotions and sensations that he felt as she explored him. She closed her eyes momentarily, grasping onto him through the link, intertwining her own presence with his, feeling him becoming a part of her in a way they hadn't shared yet. But more was to come. She steadied her breathing and opened her eyes, her fingers reaching back down to trail along the edge of the small window in his Spark casing. She could immediately feel what it was doing to him, causing her to gasp softly. She hadn't quite expected that intense of a reaction. She wanted to give him more, so much more. In an instinct move, she reached towards the top and bottom of the window and slid her fingers away from each other, feeling a slight seam under the path her fingers took. In a flash of blue-white light, the chamber slid open, parting along the seam.

"Wow..." she gasped softly. She had never seen such a beautiful sight before, and never mixed with the emotions and sensations she felt now. She felt the effect it was having on Starscream, and it made her grin, and yet squirm. What she felt through the bond had an effect on her as well. She licked her lips softly, sensing him within her mind as she slid her fingers along the sides of the panels that had slid open. She watched as tendrils of electricity snaked their way along the inside of the chamber, sparking along the edge of the panels. Part of her was nervous. She did get burned once. But at the same time, she had a feeling she would be okay. She couldn't describe the feeling, but it was there, and it told her she would be alright.

Staring into the beautiful light that was her bonded's lifesource, she reached out, her fingers dipping into the energy in front of her.

The sensations were instantaneous. Electricity surged up through her arm, causing her to gasp in surprise. Starscream's frame shuddered, a faint whine coming from him. His clawed hands gripped the ground below them, churning up the grass in the clearing. Through the bond, she felt exactly what it was doing to him, and it nearly made her collapse. The sensations she felt made her own body scream in the pleasure she was giving to him, almost as if he were doing the same to her. She shifted her body so she was laying down, both hands reaching out to touch the lifelight before her.

If one hand was incredible, both were insane. He could feel everything. The way her fingers moved, how his Spark responded to her, how it welcomed her, became a part of her. He felt his systems heating up slowly, the electricity surging through him in waves. He gave all of himself to her, through the bond and through his Spark.

Energy surged between the both of them as she held his Spark in both hands, her fingers moving slowly in the thick, pure energy. The motions seemed to drive him wild; each movement made him shiver and gasp. She felt a warmth coming from his core that she had never felt before. It was calming, intense, pure, and incredible pleasure. She felt her entire body awaken to the sensations from both his Spark and the bond they shared. With each passing moment, that bond grew stronger and wider. The pleasure that was cycling between them, hers to him and his to her, created a catch-twenty-two effect, a never ending loop of energy and emotion. Her heart rate increased as the power from his core intensified, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She couldn't help the sensations that ripped through her. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. She couldn't control how fast the sensations built, either, but oh did she try. Tendrils of electricity waved up her arms and across her shoulders, growing longer and longer the more time she spent holding onto the brilliant ball of energy that was Starscream's soul. Mentally she opened herself up wide, giving everything she was to him, as he had done for her.

_/Star...I won't leave you. I will stay by your side, be your support...I love you. I don't care what anyone else says./ _she whispered through their widening bondlink, even her mental voice gasping softly over the shared pleasure between them. It was reaching a point she wasn't sure if she could stand it anymore.

_/I will protect you, Mikaela...no matter what happens. You've captured me, helped me see, brought me life. For that...I thank you...I love you./_ he whispered back, his own voice laced with an intensity that only the two of them would ever experience. His systems felt as if they were going to literally burst into flames, his coolant systems going into overdrive as Mikaela continued whatever on Earth she was doing. He prayed she wouldn't stop...not now, not ever. He was hopelessly hers. Through the intensity, he briefly mused how he had fallen to the words and heart of a human girl, and how even through that, it felt _right. _

Mikaela could feel them both on edge and she held them there for as long as she could. Both were shaking, excited, nervous, and filled with a pleasure and sensation neither had felt before. She clenched her teeth, taking the biggest figurative jump of her life and pulling herself closer to his Spark chamber, dipping her hands even further in, her hands encased up just past her wrists. The effect was sudden, rapid and beyond anything either of them had ever dreamt of.

It was as if time stopped for both of them, leaving them in a place of pure energy where they seemed to merge completely. Both of their cries were drowned out by the emotions and sensations they felt physically and through the bond, which was now burned wide open between them. There was no turning back now. Not now, not ever. Mikaela didn't care. She never wanted to turn back to begin with. Their bond was now solidified and complete, and she could feel it. It felt like a river of pure energy between her soul and his, whereas before it felt like more of a steady little trickle.

Minutes passed before she finally curled up on herself, shaking from the absolute, intense experience. She heard his Spark chamber slide shut softly as he raised a shaky hand to her, covering her gently as she rested between the plates of his armor. No words needed to be spoken at all. They could feel and understand everything that each other thought or felt.

Mikaela wouldn't...couldn't have it any other way. She shivered lightly as a few gentle sparks of energy left her body, fading into Starscream's armor. To him it was a light tickle, causing him to smile softly as his optics came back on, though dim. He looked down at her, still in shock over what she had done. She looked back up at him, sensing him looking at her. She returned his smile, uncurling a bit and leaning back against his armor plating, feeling secured by the large metallic hand around her. She had no other words to describe what she felt other than she felt like she was _home._

* * *

The next day was a day of mixed emotions, laughter and tears. Starscream, Skywarp and Sunstorm had packed and were ready to go. The Autobots came out to bid them a farewell, and to give words of encouragement to the three Seekers. Optimus had pulled Starscream aside for a moment, wanting to speak with him alone.

"Starscream. The road you travel is a dangerous one. Take care, keep your sensors in alert mode, and never leave your wingmates. There is more at stake than just your life." He advised, his optics glancing briefly towards Mikaela, who was standing near the other two Seekers, though she kept glancing over at Starscream. Optimus sensed something different between the two of them, and figured they finally had the chance to fully complete the bond between them. Starscream nodded, noting where the other's optics had traveled.

"I am aware, Prime. I don't plan on dying any time soon, don't worry." He stated, shifting slightly. He studied the Leader's face for a moment, noting for once his faceguard was pulled back. "I'm not going to leave her behind." He said, lowering his voice more. He knew that was the unasked question amongst all of the Autobots and humans here, save for one. Optimus stared hard at him, searching the Seeker's face. After a moment, he nodded.

"I trust you." He said, nodding to the others. "Go. The fate of Cybertron and our race, and the war, rests in your hands now. We will be here, we will be waiting." He said, his voice deep and solid, sure that Starscream would at least have some success with his mission. Starscream nodded and turned around, taking one step, then pausing.

"Optimus...thankyou. For everything." He said, turning his head slightly to glance over his shoulder. He meant those words. Had it not been for Optimus that night, he wouldn't have taken a second thought to getting the hell out of the base and running for it. If he had done that, the war would still be going on. The fighting would continue. There would be no end. Without another word, he walked over towards the others, then pulled Mikaela aside. The others stepped a few paces away, giving the two their space. Optimus smiled softly.

"You're welcome..." he said quietly, knowing the other hadn't heard, but he was sure Starscream understood anyway.

Mikaela was already in his hand and clinging close to an armored finger as she found herself face to optic with Starscream. Her eyes were blurred with tears that she refused to let fall. Her jaw shifted, a sign of her internal fight with herself. Part of her screamed to not let him go, but the other part knew he had to go, at least for a short time. He had said just a few months, right?

"You know I don't want you to go."

Starscream nodded, his optics dimming slightly.

"I know. I have to, though." He said softly, raising his other hand to touch a finger to the underside of her chin, gently making her look at him clearly. She blinked, the tears she fought to keep back falling down her cheeks. "I will be back. I won't leave you here for the rest of your life without me." He said, making her a promise. Mikaela could feel through their intensified bond that he spoke the truth, and she nodded gently.

"I'll hold you to that, Star. You better come back."

"Or you'll send Optimus after me, right?"

"You had better damned well believe it!" She answered, laughing softly, fighting back another wave of tears. He very gently brushed her cheek, the large metal finger brushing away the tears. The touch was soft, gentle and filled with love. She leaned her cheek against his finger, a hand coming up to grasp at it.

"I love you, Starscream..." she whispered softly, using his full name for once instead of the shortened version she usually used for him. In a sense, it was a final affirmation of what she felt for him and him alone. She felt him pause, then smile, a wave of emotion filtering through their bond.

"And I love you, Mikaela..." he returned her whisper. "When you are alone, just look to the stars. I will be there." he added, watching as she opened her eyes and looked up at him. He felt a surge of pain rip through him, but it wasn't physical pain. It was a sentimental pain that shot through Mikaela at the words he spoke, and he watched as a fresh set of tears formed in her eyes.

"I will..." she answered, nodding. This was hard...too hard. She didn't want to say goodbye. She didn't want him to leave. She wanted to beg him to stay, wanted to have him send the other two, anything to keep him here. But logic won over, and she knew he had to be the one to rally the Decepticons to end the war. She bit her lip, staring into his shimmering blue optics. It was still so amazing how blue they were. She was amazed when they were red, now she was just stunned. She felt a sense of calm overtake her as she stared into them, like everything would be alright.

"It's time..." he said, hearing the other two Seekers transform into their jet forms. He looked up, seeing Ratchet hover over both of them, running last minute scans. He noticed how the medic kept looking up at him, as if irritated he couldn't scan the last jet yet. Starscream sighed softly, looking back down at Mikaela, who was trying to look like she was ready to take on the world, even though her heart was breaking on the inside. He could feel it.

"I know. Go take care of things, Star." She said resignedly, watching him move his other hand away from her finally. "And you _better_ come back or I will do more than just send Optimus after you..." she said, glaring at him. She dipped into the bond between them, searching out the image of his spark that had become so familiar in her mind and sunk her mental hands into it again for a moment, tormenting him briefly. Starscream felt it and shivered, his optics dimming again.

"Trust me, I will be back. I promise you that." He said, chuckling softly as his optics returned to normal, Mikaela withdrawing again. She grinned at him through the blur of her eyes.

"Good."

He gently moved his hand back down to the ground, watching with Spark-ache as she jumped off. He took a few steps away and suddenly his form shifted and reformed, becoming the F-22 that everyone had become familiar with. Ratchet came hurrying over before Starscream began rolling for the empty area of desert that was good enough for a takeoff. It took a moment to realize Ratchet was talking to him, as his thoughts were not on the medic right away.

"-and don't forget to check the repairs I made regularly. I doubt they will malfunction, but if they do, I've given you a simple file to help repair them yourself. And TRY not to get yourself killed!" Ratchet said as he ran scans over Starscream for the big flight out. Behind him, the other Autobots were transforming, preparing for a trip into town for supplies. Mikaela headed for Ironhide, climbing up the back of the truck and into the bed, confident that Ironhide would keep her safe as she rode there. She felt like feeling the wind on her face, not being stuck behind a windshield.

::Keep her safe for me, Ironhide.:: Starscream sent to the old Autobot warrior. He wasn't sure if he'd get a reply, but at least he knew any one of them would be looking out for her. "Yes, yes, I will, don't worry." he said aloud to Ratchet, his engines firing up, propelling him towards the desert clearing. Mikaela watched him rolling along the ground, her heart jumping at the sight. Aircraft mode, robot mode, she didn't care...seeing him in either form made her heart feel like it was turning into a puddle.

::I will. Just don't do something stupid and die, alright?:: Came a sudden reply from the cannonslinger, surprising Starscream. The jet mentally chuckled.

::Trust me, if something happens to me, she's sending all of you after my remains, I am sure.:: He replied, a chuckle in his voice.

::If you die, I will resurrect you myself and then kill you again if I must.:: Ironhide retorted, hiding his own chuckle behind a low growl through the comm. Starscream could hear it, though, but decided not to call him out on it.

::I doubt you would, Ironhide. To do so would cause Mikaela more pain.:: He said, trapping Ironhide in his own threat. All he got back was a grumble through the commlink. Starscream was right, though. Ironhide sighed, the air rushing out from the twin stacks in the front corners of the bed of his Topkick form.

"Alright everyone. It's time. Starscream, Skywarp, Sunstorm, we wish you all good luck on your mission. Come back safe, and hopefully with good news." Optimus Prime's voice cut through the low chatter of everyone, making everyone go silent. "Everyone else, we have supplies to get. This is to be our permanent base. Simmons has already contacted the government for us and has agreed to assist us."

Mikaela snickered silently, looking over at the agent who was now sitting in Bumblebee's passenger seat. Sam was in the driver's seat, where he always was. Bee and Sam had taken some time and talked things over, Sam explaining how he had been frustrated that day and he never meant to truly take it out on the Autobot. Eventually things had gotten smoothed out, with Bumblebee lifting Sam up around the waist and rubbing his head with the other hand, frazzling his hair while making various happy squeaks and screeches. Sam on the other hand, had wriggled and tried to get Bee to stop noogieing him, though unsuccessfully. The poor human had ended up with the world's worst hairdo after the fact.

Out several meters away, the three jets powered up their engines to full, preparing for the takeoff. A spear of sadness shot through Mikaela, but she bit it back with the feeling of being proud of him. He'd come so far in just a few short weeks. She found herself smiling at the thought and stood tall in the back of Ironhide's truckbed, watching the Seekers as they began to roll down the long desert floor. Optimus gave them a salute for a moment before shifting down to his semi mode, his engine revving.

"Alright...Autobots! Roll out!"

Ironhide let out a loud engine roar and headed off, Optimus letting him lead the pack. Bumblebee fell into place behind him, followed by Optimus and then Ratchet. Dirt and dust billowed up behind each of them as they headed for the road, the sun getting trapped in the dust and making it seem like gold clouds surrounded them all. The same rays of light glinted off the chrome on each vehicle, offsetting the dull gold of the dirt clouds they rode in.

Bumblebee set the mood for them all, blaring his radio, much to the dismay of Simmons. Sam just laughed as music filled the air. Mikaela was startled to hear it, realizing how well the lyrics seemed to fit what Starscream and the other Seekers had, are and will be going through.

_In this farewell_

_There's no blood_

_There's no alibi_

'_Cause I've drawn regret_

_From the truth_

_Of a thousand lies_

Mikaela could hear a low rumbling coming up from behind them and she turned, seeing three jets gaining up on their position. She grinned, watching as they got closer and closer...

_So let mercy come_

Skywarp and Sunstorm blasted past, pulling upwards in a show, heading for the stars, determined to succeed in their mission.

_And wash away_

_What I've done_

Starscream finally flew past after the others, twisting in the air as he flew over Mikaela. She let go of the twin stacks she was holding onto for support, raising her hands and cheering. She felt the elation of being in the air, the feeling of being free that flying gave him. It made her happy to see him so carefree as he flew up after the others.

_/Good luck, Bonded.../ _she sent over their bond, already missing him.

_I'll face myself_

_To cross out what i've become_

_Erase myself_

_And let go of what i've done_

_/Thankyou...I will be back soon. I promise you./ _he replied, pulling out of the atmosphere and shooting off like the stars he's named after, catching up with the other two. The faster he reached each of his destinations, the sooner he could be back.

_Put to rest_

_What you thought of me_

_While I clean this slate_

_With the hands of uncertainty_

_So let mercy come_

_And wash away_

_What I've done_

_I'll face myself_

_To cross out what i've become_

_Erase myself_

_And let go of what i've done_

_For what I've done_

_I start again_

_And whatever pain may come_

_Today this ends_

_I'm forgiving what I've done!_

_I'll face myself_

_To cross out what i've become_

_Erase myself_

_And let go of what i've done_

_What I've done_

_What I've done_

_Forgiving what I've done _

* * *

~~~Credits~~~

Michael Bay for Transformers and the inspiration behind this story.

**Thanks for Support for this story goes out to:**

(Readers at the time this is finished)

-Elita One

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**Special mention to:**

-Shadows Light

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-Starfire201

Thankyou ALL for the support, reviews, and aft-kickings to get this going, restarted, and restarted again. I love you all, and miss you all!

_**(Epilogue coming soon!)**_


	30. Chapter 29: He is Waiting

Musical Inspiration: "Arrival to Earth" - Transformers Score (First Movie)

(This particular song was perfect, especially when it gets to the choir part of it...in the movie, it's where Ironhide is stepping out of the pool after crashing down.)

**Epilogue: **_**He**_** is Waiting.**

The sky was bleeding into a soft purple-red by the time that the group had reconvened and was headed back to the base. Mikaela and Sam had stopped by a fast food restaurant to pick up some food for the ride home. After a few weeks of rations and base food, it was quite a change of pace. Even Simmons managed to get a ride to his favorite restaurant. They also stopped by the local grocery store for more food supplies, Mikaela swung by her home for a toolbox, and Sam stopped by his place...which he immediately regretted when he got swarmed by his poor, worried mother. It took him five minutes to make her realize he was fine, Mikaela was fine, the robots were fine and he was fine. Yes, he was fine.

Mikaela stared out the window as she sat inside of Optimus' cab, sitting in the driver's seat. She at least wanted to give the impression of someone driving the truck if anyone passed, even if it made her a little uneasy still to sit in the driver's seat of any of the Autobots. Her mind, however, was elsewhere. She sighed softly, thinking over the last few week's events. She could still feel Starscream through the bond, but the farther away he got, the harder it was to sense him. It was an unnerving feeling. She swallowed, biting her lip as she stared up through the windshield at the sky.

"He will be alright, Mikaela."

Her thoughts were jolted to the present when Optimus broke the silence via his radio. Mikaela let a half-hearted smile appear on her face as she stared at the dashboard. She knew the Autobot leader was right and she knew that Starscream would be careful. But she couldn't help the worry from creeping through her like a spider on a web.

"I know. It's just...different. Difficult." She said, shrugging slightly as she glanced out the side window. The road was empty save for the four Autobots and their human companions. She watched as the sun began to dip below the mountains in the distance, the last of the sun's rays flickering softly.

"I can only imagine what you are going through, Mikaela. Your situation is unique and has never been seen or heard of before." the semi said. "But know that you have friends to help you at every turn. We will be there when times get rough." he added, letting her know she had support no matter what. Mikaela smiled a bit more and reached out, her fingers curling around the steering wheel before her.

"Thanks. It..it means a lot to me." She replied, grateful for the friends she had. Who knew that her closest and best friends would be autonomous robotic organisms from another planet? She smiled at the thought. Hell, who knew she'd end up _bonded_ to one? She felt her mind turning to Starscream again and what he was trying to do for the sake of his race when Optimus interrupted her wandering thoughts again.

"May I ask a personal question, Mikaela?"

She stared at the steering wheel, a little bit surprised. "Um..sure?"

"Do you remember what happened right before you awakened yesterday?" Prime asked, curiosity tinting his voice as it came over the radio. Mikaela looked up briefly as she saw another car headed their way, the first since they started heading back. She pretended to look like she was driving until the car passed, relaxing back against the seat again and staring out the window.

"I think so..." she said, going into detail about the dream, starting from when she appeared in the dream-version of Cybertron, how she saw Starscream and Megatron fighting, and how she ran for the beautiful gold-silver city. She felt Optimus' engines quieting slightly as she described the city, causing her to pause.

"Are you okay?" she asked curiously, worried about him.

Optimus sighed softly, the twin stacks giving a short burst of exaughst.

"I am alright. You're describing...in very good detail...my home planet before the war started." He said softly, sounding as if he were miles away. In a sense, he was. His mind was filtering through old memory files, bringing up images of his home planet, files he kept close to his spark. Mikaela held her hand on the steering wheel again, a look of sadness on her face.

"I'm sorry..."

"It's alright. It's those memories I keep alive so that when we can rebuild, we can bring those memories back to life." The old leader said with a heavy sigh. He went through the files again before asking Mikaela to continue with her description. She nodded and continued, going into detail again about the voice and the large ball of energy, the coversation that was held and how the voice finally merged into one and then the electricity reached out and touched her.

"...and then...I remember seeing you looking over me." she said, finishing her story finally. A few moments dragged on, the sound of his engines working steadily penetrating the air as they drove on. Mikaela began to wonder if she hit an even deeper nerve than when she was describing his home planet.

Her descriptions were similar to something he had read long, long ago about the creation of Cybertron. Legend had it that Primus, their Creator, created Cybertron around his own spark and created the Allspark as a conduit to channel His energy, allowing the creation of the Transformers. Some thought that Cybertron itself was the body of Primus. It was also told that each Cybertronian had a tiny portion of Primus' Spark, allowing intelligence and free will. The last time anyone had ever been down to the Core of the planet was when the first Thirteen were still functioning. Those days were very long past.

Optimus wondered if he was right. Had she truly met their Creator? Was Primus' Spark being at the center of Cybertron no longer a legend, but reality? Had He given her the power she needed to return Starscream's Spark to full capacity? Could it be...Cybertron was still alive? A wave of hope shot through him as he processed this.

"Mikaela...did...the voice ever speak a name?" He asked tentatively, wondering if she might have overlooked something like that. Mikaela tilted her head slightly as she stared at the steering wheel.

"A name? Like, the voice's name?" She asked, shaking her head. "No...not that I remember. But...whatever it was, it was really intimidating..." she added, chuckling a bit. "I swear if I said something wrong, it could decide my fate or something."

If Optimus could have raised an eyeridge at her in this form, he would have. The more she described, the more he became certain that she had actually met the literal Core of their being. Primus, their Creator.

"Mikaela...you may very well have encountered something that would be of extreme assistance in the war ending..." He said slowly, earning a curious gaze from the woman sitting in his cab.

"Well, that seems to be the theme of the day..." she mumbled to herself, mostly amused, but oddly not surprised at this point after everything she'd gone through. "So what is this thing I possibly found?"

"I believe you may have found Primus...the Creator of our race." He said, reverence filtering through his deep mechanical voice. Mikaela stared in silent shock at the radio now, blinking slowly. No one of her own race had truly ever met their own God...how was it she had met the God of an alien race already? She had no idea what to say in reply to that at all.

"He...He's your God?" she asked after a moment, finally finding the words to ask that simple question.

"In your terms, yes. He is our Creator, very much like your God is your Creator." He said, his voice subdued. "However...the Spark of Primus...it sits at the Center of Cybertron, or so it is told. From what you've described...I have reason to believe the Old Writings are in fact correct about that." He finished, making Mikaela sit back and stare out the windshield. Her mind was overloaded with all the information now. She met their _God_!

"...When...when Star was brought back...I remember thinking something...'Thankyou, whoever you are.'" She said slowly, remembering the last thing she heard from the giant ball of light. "And...I heard something back..it was faint, though. It said, 'You...are welcome.' The words weren't in my voice...it was in the voice that I had heard before I woke up." She finished quietly, adding the last bit of information that Optimus would ever need.

The rest of the way to the base was filled with only the sounds of Optimus Prime's engines, the Autobot leader having much to think about. The information she gave him brought rise to a new hope...one he hadn't dared think ever possible.

Cybertron was still alive.

Their planet could yet be saved.

All they needed now was for Starscream to do his part and rally the Decepticon forces to bring an end to the fighting. A task that all of them hoped he would succeed in.

restart


End file.
